Mission: Capture Ayano's Heart
by Jenny1751
Summary: That was literally the best title I could come up with - -" Anyway, HAREM! Ayano X Male!Rivals. Obviously inspired by YanDev's April Fool's vid. Includes Male!Info-chan / Info-kun and Male!Senpai / Taeko Yamada. Occurs in Mission Mode universe, Apathetic&Clueless!Ayano
1. Chapter 1

**3,649 words! Although I was planning to have a lot more happen here, but oh well. It's pretty much just build-up and slight pairings to give you a taste of what's to come. I think I made a lot of people OOC but meh. Tell me what you think. Keep in mind though that this is the first Yandere Simulator fic I've ever worked on so please go easy on me!**

 **It'll be obvious when you read this but just a heads up, this happens on Mission Mode so Yan-chan isn't a yandere.**

 **Hope you enjoy~!**

* * *

Ayano was not really an ordinary school girl. She got along well with her classmates, but there were none she would consider as her 'friends'. She feels that such people were unnecessary, acquaintances were more than enough.

Although if you were to ask her, the closest thing she would have to a friend would be someone she knew ever since she was a child, but even then she didn't really know him that well either. She didn't even know his real name, for God's sake. She just called him Info-kun.

And their relationship… wasn't really friendly. It was more on the professional side.

Ayano sighed as she washed up her school swimsuit which was covered in blood, Musume Ronshaku's blood to be specific. As she did so, her phone rang and she quickly went to pick it up.

"What?" she asked coldly.

" _Did you finish the job?_ " Info-kun's equally cold voice rang through the speaker.

"Her body's at the back of the school, near the doors where she usually smokes at. I didn't bother disposing of it."

" _It's fine. The client didn't specify anything about that, but I take it you disposed of the evidence?_ "

"Who do you think you're talking to?" she asked, her tone becoming slightly colder and Info-kun only laughed.

 _"Just making sure._ " He reassured. " _That would be all for today, I'll transfer the payment directly to your bank account as usual_."

"Good."

" _Pleasure doing business with you_." He said in that sickly sweet tone of his and she hung up immediately.

Rather than friends, Ayano views Info-kun as her employer. He was an information broker, and sometimes students would come to him because they're having certain problems. And so Info-kun hires Ayano to eliminate their schoolmate's worries.

Ayano didn't particularly care about how dirty the job was, but the pay was a lot better compared to working part time. She wanted to become independent as soon as she could, so it was common sense to accept the job Info-kun offered her. She didn't know why he offered her such a job, she wasn't even entirely sure why she accepted, but he mentioned something about seeing a natural-born hitman in her. Ayano wasn't really sure what he meant by that, but she was definitely good at her job.

Other than the missions Info-kun gives her, her life was relatively boring to the point where she didn't even know what to do with herself anymore. She wasn't graduating yet so she had a lot of time to think about her future but most students already had a plan by this time.

She briefly considered working for Info-kun full time, but it was bound to get boring eventually, right? And it wasn't really a stable job either, if no one comes to him seeking blood then she has no income. Plus, she'll need a cover up since people will wonder how she gets the money in the future. As a high schooler, she can hide under the guise of having well-off parents who like to spoil her but she can't say that forever. Saying that now was humiliating enough already.

Ayano sighed, finally managing to clean off all the blood stains. She went back to her shower room locker and put it back before heading back to the main building. On her way to her locker, she spotted the bulletin board which, as usual, was filled with posters inviting people to join various clubs. Normally, she would just ignore them but today was different.

Ayano was someone who acted more on logic rather than emotion (she wasn't even sure if she had those, considering how she was capable of murdering someone in cold blood) but sometimes she wished she had those dreaded… feelings. Maybe she wouldn't feel so lost on her future.

Her mind rationalized that she had to come up with a plan for her life as soon as possible, but to do that she had to go back to the basics. What did she want to do? Quite a tough question, since she didn't really have any interests. But she was confident that she could excel at anything as long as she could care enough about it.

… Maybe if she joined a few clubs, she could find something that actually catches her attention.

* * *

 _Ring._

 _Ring._

 _Ri-_

"What?"

" _I heard you joined the Gaming Club_."

Ayano's hand stopped, mid-motion. She had been scrolling through her newsfeed on her computer when Info-kun called. Sure, she didn't really look like the type to waste time on social media but it was her belief that it's important to stay well-informed. Who knows, one of these people could be her target one day and it could save her the trouble of researching about them.

"… I would ask how you know that but that would be stupid of me."

" _Yes, it would_."

"What's it to you?"

" _Nothing. I just thought that it's quite out-of-character for you_."

"I do what I want."

" _I know_." She could hear the smirk through the phone. " _Any particular reason why you decided to do such a thing, though?_ "

Ayano was silent for a bit before she decided on her answer. "I was bored."

The other line went silent for a bit before suppressed laughter could be heard. " _Of course you were_."

"What's so funny?"

" _Nothing_."

"I'm hanging up."

" _You realize that the Gaming Club isn't really an official club, right?_ "

"Yeah." Ayano said. "That just means I can join other clubs as well."

"… _Oh. You must have too much time on your hands_."

"So do you. If you have time to meddle in my life, then go look for a client."

" _I don't look for clients, they look for me. You should know how it works by now_."

"Tsk."

" _Anyway, have fun because I know I will_." He said cryptically. " _If my sources are right, then you should have a great time this week_."

"What are you talking about?" she asked suspiciously.

" _Oh nothing. Take care then_."

"Hey-"

The fucker hung up.

"Tsk." She threw her phone on her bed and went back to scrolling through her newsfeed. That guy got on her nerves sometimes.

But still, what did he mean when he said that…?

* * *

The next day, before classes began, Ayano could be found lounging in front of the bulletin board, trying to figure out which club she should join. In the Gaming Club, she got a feel on what it would be like to join the other clubs through playing games but she still couldn't decide. She planned on going through all of them, leaving each one once she got bored and only sticking to the one which actually managed to interest her. But she didn't like wasting time. The sooner she found an interest, the more time she'll have honing her skills.

"Aren't you in the Gaming Club already?"

Ayano looked up was met with eyes the color of sunset with hair of a similar shade. The boy looked at her with a frown (disapproval?) and had his arms crossed, seeming to silently judge her. She blinked in confusion, before her mind supplied her with the necessary information.

Osano Najimi, class 2-1 and not affiliated with any clubs. They were classmates, but not really close. Although occasionally, the teacher would have Ayano stay behind in class to help them with something (they were under the impression that she was a good girl because of her grades which far surpassed the others in her class) and Osano would sometimes volunteer to stay behind with her, claiming that it's not right for teachers to treat students like slaves you can just order around, so he graciously decided to help her… for some reason. Ayano didn't really understand it, but he seemed like a gentleman.

Although he was kind of a tsundere.

"Ah, good morning, Osano-kun. Yes, I am." She said simply. News got around fast in the school, but she didn't think people would go around gossiping about her.

But maybe it's because the Gaming Club had a reputation? Ayano herself wasn't sure if that reputation was good or bad, but there was just something about that club that made people want to take a second look.

She was so absorbed in her thoughts that she didn't notice the blush on Osano's face when she greeted him.

"Then what are you doing?" he asked incredulously- trying to hide his embarrassment from his oblivious classmate- as if he caught her washing a knife while wearing bloody clothes. (That's what Ayano thought at least)

"I plan on joining other clubs."

"You can't do that." He scowled.

"Why not?"

"You're already in a club."

"The Gaming Club is not an official school club."

"For the teachers, maybe. But the students consider it as a real club. Nobody's gonna let you join if they know you're already a member of that club." Osano explained. "Geez, you didn't know this? I thought it was common sense!"

Ayano frowned. Info-kun didn't say anything about that… Did he want her to embarrass herself by joining two different clubs? Foolish, but he still deserves a stab on the shoulder for it.

"I see. I didn't know that." She muttered.

Ayano wasn't really the type to socialize but logically speaking, she needed to act friendly or else her peers would think badly of her and that could be disadvantageous for her in the future. So she looked up to her classmate and smiled politely. "Thank you for informing me of this, Osano-kun."

The reaction she received was not what she had expected. The boy turned red- did he have a fever? Should she drag him to the nurse's office?- and looked at her as if she was caught disposing a body.

"D-don't get the wrong idea! I-it's not that I wanted to h-help you or anything! I just hate it when people are so damn ignorant!"

That was a bit rude. But Ayano kept that thought to herself, she needed to focus on maintaining a good reputation. "I see, I apologize then. I'll try to be more well-informed next time."

"Y-yeah! You better." He grumbled.

There was an awkward silence between them; Osano was fighting off the blush that was spreading through his cheeks while Ayano was thinking about her little predicament.

She'll have to leave the Gaming Club, but she hasn't really decided on a club yet so she supposed she'll stall on that. Now she was back where she started, deciding on a club to join. It would be better if she'd just choose a random club and go for it from there, but once you leave, you can't rejoin. Those were the rules, so she decided that she'll have to spend a month on each club she joins. If she's still uninterested, she'll quit. But still, a month is a long time and she didn't want to take the chance of possibly hating the club she ends up in and having to bear with it for a whole month. So she'll have to think about it carefully.

As she spaced out, Osano found himself staring at her. She was staring at the billboard but you could tell that her mind was elsewhere.

She almost seemed trouble.

He scoffed. "Why did you want to join a club all of a sudden, anyway?"

Ayano blinked, snapping out of her thoughts. "I… thought it would be nice to get a hobby."

"Yeah, it probably would. You look like the type who spends hours studying for an assignment." he snorted. "Well, what _are_ you good at?"

Everything. But she couldn't say that, because she'll sound presumptuous.

Killing? No, he'll either think she's weird or a lunatic (which she probably was).

Manipulation? Also abnormal, she needs something more normal.

"Research." She finally said. Osano batted an eye at that.

"Research? So you basically like learning about stuff right." He sighed. "That's just like you."

She frowned, why was he talking as if they've known each other for so long? Like he's known her for so long? Although it's true that they were also classmates last year, as stated before, they were not friends.

"Well, I don't really know much about it, but how about the Info club?"

"No." she deadpanned. It's bad enough that she's employed to their president...

… Were there even any other members aside from Info-kun?

Osano was a bit taken back by the immediate refusal but he sort of understood, everyone thought that there was something fishy going on in that club.

"The newspaper club, then?" he asked.

"It was one of my options." She nodded.

"What? Were you hoping to try something new?"

"It's not a priority, but it was a goal."

Osano sighed.

"Then what do you want to do?"

Ayano was silent.

"Geez, you're hopeless." He sighed.

"I'm sorry for troubling you, Osano-kun." Ayano said, although she never really asked him to help her out.

"Well, someone's gotta help you out or you'll be staring at the board all day." He scoffed. "Look, school's just started for the year, you've got plenty of time so don't rush it and don't over think it."

Ayano nodded. "Are you not planning on joining a club, Osano-kun?"

"W-well!" And there was that blush again. Ayano was starting to seriously consider just calling an ambulance. The difference in their build will make it hard for her to drag him to the infirmary after all. "I-I was actually thinking of joining a club too, but it sounds like too much work!"

"It may be… fun though." Although Ayano wasn't really sure what it was like to have 'fun' it would be interesting to experience it for the first time in her life.

"Y-yeah. I guess…" he muttered. "Well, since you're having trouble picking a club then I guess I'll help you!"

"Huh?" she asked, a bit dumbly she can admit. "Ah, you don't need to feel obligated to, Osano-kun. I'm sure I'll be able to decide soon."

"Don't be ridiculous! If I leave you on your own, you'll end up brooding like you were earlier, and it's annoying have to put up with it. You could bring down the mood of the whole school if you keep it up."

Ayano didn't realize that she had been brooding. Maybe she was taking this much more seriously than she realized.

"I-it's not because I want to help you out, alright?! It's just weird seeing you like that, kinda gives me the creeps too." He said. "Anyway, if I help you look around the clubs, maybe I'll find something that could interest me too."

Ayano's eyes widened.

' _I see_!' She thought. ' _Helping out a classmate to increase reputation while also having an excuse to roam the school and look into clubs. Two birds with one stone, he's brighter than I thought_.'

At that moment, Ayano thought that she's found someone like her who thought rationally and was going through the same troubles as she was. Osano's personality was quite peculiar, but she supposed she can look past that and consider him as a reliable acquaintance. He seemed quite knowledgeable as well, and it would be nice to have someone other than Info-kun to rely on.

"I see, well then I will be in your care Osano-kun." She bowed.

"Wh-whatever."

The bell rung.

"Ah, we better get going."

"Yes, we should." She nodded. "Maybe we could discuss the other clubs later on?"

"L-later?" he asked and Ayano nodded.

"Although we might not have the time." She pondered on it for a moment. "Osano-kun?"

"What?" he asked, rather cautiously which confused Ayano. It's not like he was her target or anything, he was more of a pawn and a pawn is best used when alive.

"Would you like to exchange phone numbers?"

"Wh-wha- ?!"

"Osano-kun, I've been wanting to bring this up for a while now, but maybe you should take a leave from school today." She said, almost seeming concerned. Almost. "Your face has been noticeably red, it could be a symptom for a fever."

"I-I'm fine, idiot! M-more importantly, what did you mean by that..?"

Ayano blinked in confusion. Was there some internet terminology she accidentally used without being aware of it? She honestly didn't understand a lot of the gibberish her classmates say online so it was possible. She made a mental note of asking Osano-kun of commonly used terminologies later on. In the meantime, she took her phone out.

"I would like to exchange phone numbers, and emails as well, if possible. It would be easier for us to communicate."

"Well, I mean, we're already in the same class…" he muttered.

"True. But it would be nice to know that I can reach out to you at any time." She said, before realizing that she may have overstepped her boundaries. She's seen people exchange numbers with people they've just met, but there were also those who only did so with people they were very close to. Maybe Osano-kun was one of those people. If that was the case, then his initial reaction made sense.

She may have messed up, so she quickly attempted to do some damage control. "Of course, if you don't want to, that's fine. I'm sure we can still manage since we're-"

"I-I didn't say that I didn't want to." He said, snatching her phone and typing in the necessary information. His cheeks were dusted with pink that made Ayano realize how attractive he was. "You just surprised me… is all."

"I see, please pardon my rudeness."

"Whatever. Here." He handed her her phone before taking his out from his shirt pocket. "Now give me yours."

When all that was sad and done, they made their way to their classroom. Both seeming happy/content, albeit for different reasons.

"Ah, that's right, Osano-kun. Are you certain you're feeling well?" Ayano asked and Osano's face became beet red.

"I'm fine!"

"Are you su-"

"Yes! Now hurry up or we'll be late!"

Later, during lunch, Ayano was nowhere to be found but Osano always knew that she preferred to eat alone. She was probably somewhere quiet with few people, if at all, like some corner of the rooftop or the back of the school.

"Soooo…" an annoyingly sweet voice spoke up.

"What?" he snapped at his childhood friend and senpai, Taeko Yamada. They were eating by the fountain as they always did.

"I saw you speaking with a little lone wolf earlier." She smirked, making him blush.

"S-so? That's got nothing to do with you!"

"Oh~? But I'm really curious. You guys talked for so long!"

"No we didn't!"

"Well, it was for her standards. She's known for being a girl of a few words, you know."

He grumbled, but couldn't deny the truth in her words. Even he was surprised at how long their conversation lasted.

"… She was thinking about joining a club." He muttered.

"Oh?" Taeko asked curiously.

"Yeah. And I said I'd help her out since she can't decide."

Taeko gasped. "That's great, Osano-kun!"

"Wh-what?"

"This is your chance to get to know her better!" she said excitedly. "It looks like you two get along really well, too!"

"Wh-what are you spouting?!" he yelled. "I'm not trying to get to know her, I-I'm just trying to keep my classmate from making bad decisions."

" _Right_." She rolled her eyes. "Because you're _such_ a good person, who _knows_ what'll happen if Ayano-chan picks the wrong club to join? She'll _regret_ it for the rest of her life!"

"Right?!"

Taeko scoffed. "Osano-kun, you need to be more honest with yourself!"

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?! Just shut up and eat your lunch!"

"Yes yes…" she giggled.

Meanwhile, completely unknown to them, a certain hitman-for-hire was staring at their backs from one of the doors of the plaza.

Taeko Yamada, from class 3-2 and member of the Gardening Club. She was exceptionally ordinary, so Ayano didn't see any benefit from being acquainted with her. If she was going to make connections, then might as well go with the ones who would actually be useful in the future. The only thing amazing- not even amazing, simply note-worthy- about the girl was that she somehow befriended Osano Najimi. They were quite the pair.

Ayano sighed and went to look for a place to eat lunch.

Then she happened to pass by the cooking club and smelled something heavenly. Without thinking, she entered the room.

"Oh? I sense a hungry soul." A calm voice spoke jokingly and Ayano couldn't help but think how homely the atmosphere was.

The only person in the room was Amao Odoyaka. The president of the cooking club.

Now that's someone who could potentially be useful in the future.

* * *

 **Hope you enjoyed that~ I was planning on writing at least five of the rivals but I ended up only writing Osano... QAQ It got way too long and I wanted to update before I go to bed. (Classes start tomorrow and yeah, one fic before I go, ya know?)**

 **SO here's the thing, I plan to make this into a harem of all the male rivals from the April Fool's video but I know I'm gonna have trouble with at least half of them. So how about this. Send me all the prompts you wanna see happen, AyanoXMale!Rival. I'm thinking of going for some Info-kunXTaeko too, let me know what you think! Oh, and be sure to PM me the prompts not review, wouldn't want people to see potential spoilers, right? ;) Don't worry, I'll be sure to credit you for it! I'll still appreciate the review though :D**

 **Also, I'm in college with exams coming up so the best I can probably do is a once a week update... please bear with me! T^T**

 **Were they OOC? Was it fast-paced? Too many unnecessary details? Too long? Too short? Love it? Hate it? I'd love to hear your opinion!**

 **So, Please review ~ !**

 **~ RnR ~ !**

 **~ RnR ~ !**


	2. Chapter 2

**5,186 words, so long but I'm so proud of myself! :D I managed to get half of the rivals introduced, the other half I saved for later because I didn't want to rush things. I hope you understand!**

 **Also, quick note, there's nothing in the wikia that stated the ages of the rivals so I just assumed all the presidents were 3rd years, basically her senpai.**

 **Anywho, hope you enjoy~!**

* * *

"Please pardon my intrusion." Ayano bowed.

"Don't worry about it." Amao smiled brightly as he waved off her apology. Would you like some octo-dogs? I just finished making some."

"Ah, no need Odayaka-senpai. I was simply looking for someplace quiet to eat my lunch."

Amao hummed thoughtfully. "Well, I'm just cleaning up and no one usually stops by here before class is over for the day. So I can guarantee that this place is very peaceful!"

"Is it really alright to intrude?" Ayano asked for politeness' sake.

"Of course! Anyone's welcome here." He smiled brightly. "Please, take a seat."

Ayano went ahead and did just that, placing her bento on the table while taking in her surroundings. The room was very feminine, as expected since majority of the cooking club was composed of girls. But despite Amao being the only male in the club, he fit right in. Probably because of his kind nature that was almost motherly. No wonder he was viewed as the school's "Big Brother".

"You sure you don't want any octo-dogs? I was planning on giving them away after class but you can be the first to try one."

"No, it's alright, Odayaka-senpai. It's already nice of you to let me stay here for a bit, I don't want to impose."

"Oh, you're not imposing…" he trailed off, and it took almost a minute before Ayano realized the implied question.

"Ayano Aishi."

"Ayano-chan, then!" he smiled. "No need to be so formal, just call me Amao too."

"That would be rude of me Odayaka-senpai." She said and he only laughed at that.

"Well, aren't you such a respectful girl?" he said before walking to the table, from his place in the kitchen, and taking a peek at her lunch. "Wow that looks really good. Did your mother make it?"

"No. I did." she stated simply. Her bento wasn't that extraordinary, but it wasn't plain either. It looked delectable and pleasing to the eye. She wasn't really the type to care about such things, but she has a lot of free time so why not?

"Really?" he asked, genuinely surprised. He paused for a moment before continuing. "May I try?"

Ayano was a bit taken back at this, but quickly regained her composure. "I suppose a bite won't hurt, I doubt that it's anywhere as good as yours though, Odayaka-senpai."

Amao chuckled. "Now now, I'm not that great."

He went back to the kitchen and grabbed a pair of chopsticks before coming back for a taste. Ayano wasn't sure why she felt nervous, maybe it was because she's a perfectionist and wanted to have her skill acknowledged by someone who truly excelled at such a field.

"Ayano-chan… This is really good!" Amao exclaimed.

She sighed in relief. "It's an honor to hear that, coming from you, senpai."

He chuckled. "Where did you learn to cook?"

She shrugged. "I've learned to cook when I was young, and as time passed I got better at it. Nothing extraordinary."

"Did your mother teach you?" he asked curiously.

"No… Mother had always been preoccupied with… other matters." She said, not wanting to delve into her mother's background. It was messier than hers, after all.

Amao frowned a bit. "How long have you been making bento for yourself?"

"Around the same time I started middle school, why?"

"That's…" Amao took a seat beside her, and Ayano was a bit surprised at the serious yet still gentle look on his face. "Can you tell me more about yourself, Ayano-chan?"

Her posture tensed the slightest bit but her facial features in no way betrayed her inner thoughts, maintaining its indifference.

What? Was this man a genius inside as well? It looks like she had underestimated the mental capacity of the students in her school. Did he pick up on her suspicious background? How? She barely revealed anything! Or maybe the 'president of the cooking club' is just a cover up and he's working for…

She gritted her teeth. It was possible, after all, not even Info-kun had much information about her. It wasn't far-fetched to assume that she had allies.

"What would you like to know, senpai?" she asked in a casual tone. Worst case scenario, her identity as the hitman-for-hire who has been committing all the crimes that began last year will be revealed. Well, she could always kill Amao Odayaka but she'd rather not go through any unnecessary trouble. She just has to act like a clueless civilian.

"Does your mom have a job? What is it? And how about your father?" he asked, seemingly in an innocent manner.

' _Shit. Could he be the child of one of mother's targets_?' Ayano thought nervously. ' _So the kind act earlier was to lure me in. I shouldn't have let my guard down_!'

"No, she doesn't. My father's work, on the other hand, requires for him to move around often. And my mother preferred to be with him wherever he went." She explained. Laying out half-truths was the best way to go.

Her parents didn't really travel, at least not so often, but they spend most of their time outside the house that they might as well be living someplace else so...

"And what about you?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It would be troublesome for my education if I came with them, since they change locations every other month. So I stayed behind." She said in a cool tone. "This is the town where my mother grew up in, so she was confident that I'll be safe here even while I'm on my own."

"So you live by yourself?"

"That's correct." She nodded.

' _Hopefully, that would throw him off_.' she thought.

"Do you have a maid?"

… What did that have to do with anything? Ayano was thrown out of loop so she decided to just answer truthfully.

"No."

"So you cook all your meals?"

"That's correct."

"No wonder you got good at cooking." He chuckled, although it was flat and humorless, lacking the usual gentle and warm tone.

Ayano was at lost, although she'd rather die than admit it.

"You sure you don't want any octo-dogs, Ayano-chan?" he asked, suddenly reverting back to his cheerful self which caught Ayano off-guard.

"Ah, well-" before she could say anything else, the tray was shoved in front of her. She hadn't even realized that it had been with him, didn't Odayaka-senpai put it in the counter?

"Please take one, as a thank you for letting me have a taste of your bento."

"Really, it was nothing…" she muttered, still a bit at lost but figured it would be rude to continue on refusing. It might appear like she didn't want to taste his cooking, so she took one.

"How is it?" he asked, watching her chew on the bite-sized octo-dogs.

"… Delicious!" she whispered under her breath. This man… no wonder he was the president of the cooking club. The taste was almost heavenly! Ayano wasn't even aware that it was possible to make hotdogs taste so good. It just seemed so surreal.

"I'm glad you liked it!" he smiled brightly, and Ayano couldn't help but look at him with shocked eyes.

This man… he was an enigma. Very suspicious, and now Ayano had gotten a taste (literally) of the extent of his skill. She's never been rendered speechless before, especially not by food.

 _'What a fearsome power._..!' she thought. ' _I better stay on his good side_.'

"Hey, Ayano-chan." He spoke up, cutting off her thoughts. "Would you like to join the Cooking Club?"

Blink.

Blink.

What?

"A-ah..?" What is this? The 'keep your enemies close' strategy? Or wait, _maybe_ she was reading too much into this.

"I don't want to force you or anything, but you look like you have a lot of potential. So it'd be nice to have you on board!" he grinned. "Also, I'd really like to get to know you better, Ayano-chan."

Now that she thought about it, if he really was allied to that person, then wouldn't he have poisoned her? A part of her mind berated her on letting her guard down, but another came to trust her senpai.

Looking into it, their conversation is a bit similar to a job interview (not that she'd know, it wasn't like Info-kun went through that trouble when recruiting her but she'll just assume) and maybe that's what it was. She internally berated herself again for jumping to conclusions. She was getting way too paranoid, which she supposed should be expected with her field of work. But if this continues on, she'll lose years of her life by just worrying about pointless things.

"Well, to be honest, I am looking for a club to join right now." She admitted.

"Really? That's perfect then!" he said. "How about it, won't you join?"

"Pardon my rudeness, Odayaka-senpai but I'd like some time to think about it more carefully. I am the type of person who commits, so I don't make quick decisions."

Amao seemed surprised but it was immediately replaced by a gentle, caring look. "You're such a responsible girl, Ayano-chan. Don't worry, I understand. But keep in mind, even if you decide not to join the Cooking Club, you're still welcome here."

"Yes, thank you very much." She nodded.

At this point, she had consumed a large part of her bento so she focused on finishing up. Ayano had planned to check on some other clubs before lunch ended, she had spent enough time in the cooking club.

Once done, she cleaned up. Ayano noticed that her senpai had resumed cleaning the kitchen so she decided to leave. But before she did, a thought crossed her mind.

"Odayaka-senpai, are you familiar with all the other clubs in the school?" she asked, and he looked at her curiously.

"Why yes, I'm good friends with most of the presidents, actually. Why?"

"I'm sorry if I sound rude, but would it be alright if I ask for your advice regarding the other clubs? I honestly don't know much about them." She said. If she kept this up, forming connections with people of high status in the school, eventually she won't need Info-kun anymore.

"Of course! If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to ask, okay? I'm always here during lunch, and most days, I spend my time after class here too. So you know where to find me." He smiled, ruffling her hair.

Ayano couldn't help but blush at that, she couldn't even remember the last time her parents did that to her.

"… um, Odayaka-senpai? Would it be…" she muttered, thinking for a bit. He seemed like the friendly type. So it probably wouldn't scare him off if she asked, right? It worked for Osano-kun after all. "… alright to ask for your phone number?"

Amao's eyes widened and Ayano got nervous once again. Why had nobody told her that making… friends was this difficult?! She started to gain respect towards all the social butterflies who could do it so easily.

"Sure! But on one condition."

"Yes?" she asked curiously.

"From now on," he smiled, when had his smile somehow gotten gentler? Or was Ayano still hung up on the heavenly octo-dog she ate? "Call me Amao."

"Huh? Senpai, that would be-"

"Disrespectful? Nonsense! We're friends now, right?" he grinned.

Wait, they were? Wow, that happened faster than Ayano had anticipated. She thought that she'd have to prove her worth and do a few favors for him first but apparently not.

"Well, if it's alright with you," Ayano spoke hesitantly. "… Amao-senpai."

"… I'd prefer it if you dropped the senpai, but it's progress I suppose." He chuckled before reaching a hand out for her phone. She handed it to him and he quickly typed.

"What kind of club are you planning to join, anyway?" he asked as he typed.

"I'm not really sure." She said honestly and pondered for a moment. "Hopefully a club that would be… challenging."

"Oh? You're that kind of girl?" he asked in interest.

"I'm always aiming to improve myself."

"I'm sure you are, Ayano-chan." He said, returning her phone and handing his so she could put her contact information in.

"Thank you again, Amao-senpai." she said, giving back his phone and heading out.

"See you around, Ayano-chan." he waved.

After taking her leave, Ayano found herself wandering through the school.

And somehow getting kidnapped.

Okay, kidnapped was a pretty strong word, but it was the closest thing she could describe to her situation. She had been walking through the hallway when she was suddenly grabbed by the arm and dragged into a room.

She could sense that whoever kidnapped her wasn't a threat though, so she let them do as they please. Not even a full five seconds later, she was met with passionate violet eyes.

"I'm sorry for being so rough with you, my darling. But I simply couldn't contain myself, I need to tell you something. And I hope you'll be willing to listen to it." He said in a rather loud and almost desperate tone.

Ayano didn't bat an eye. He's not a threat, so whatever. "Alright, I have the time."

The older teen (he seemed so familiar but Ayano just couldn't put her finger on it) looked taken back but he regained composure and seemed relieved.

"Thank you..! That alone means so much to me." Oh, God was he about to cry? Anything but that, Ayano had no idea how to handle tears other than her own. "How do I even begin..? I-I'm sorry if this seems a bit sudden, but… I've noticed you for a while now. And this may sound strange but you always looked as if you were shining brightly, you stood out in the best possible way. I don't know how people didn't see it but… _I_ did."

Impossible. Ayano had made sure to keep a low profile up until now, what was this boy blabbering about? And why was he speaking so... _dramatically_?

"I know you must have your doubts, but please understand… I have truly, completely fallen in love with you!"

What.

"So, please go out with me." He said, seeming relieved to finally get the words out. He looked hopeful, kind and most of all, charming. "I promise, I will make you the happiest girl in the world. If you would just please give me a chance!"

He was very handsome, charming and his words, his tone, just everything about him screamed 'Prince Charming'. He's the kind of boy you fell in love with at first sight, the kind you run away with so that you can be together forever, the kind you don't want to let go. He's the ideal man

"I'm sorry, but I must refuse." Ayano deadpanned and the boy went shock-still.

He was the man of every girl's dreams, however Ayano wasn't dreaming for a man at the moment. She was dreaming of joining a club.

"Wh-why?!"

"I don't know you." She stated. "And I'm not interested in a relationship at the moment."

"Eh?" he asked dumbly. "You… don't know me?"

 _That_ made her raise an eyebrow. "Should I?"

"Should you?! How naïve!" he cried out, losing all the prince-like charms he had only a few moments ago. He looked shocked and deeply offended. His personality did a complete 180. "How is it possible that there's any student in this school who doesn't know who I am?!"

"How _dare_ you reject the president?!"

"Who is this girl, anyway?!"

"President, please don't mind her! She must have no taste in good men!"

"Oh? Wait, aren't you… Aishi-san?"

Ayano looked towards the source of the sudden commotion and zeroed in on a familiar face.

He was a classmate, Ran Domu. A member of the Drama club, no other special detail about him.

Wait… the Drama Club? Ayano's eyes scanned the room and realized that she was, in fact, in the Drama Club. Most members looked like they just came out of some hiding spots. Putting two and two together, she sighed.

"I see, so you're playing a prank on students passing by." She said and they tensed. "I apologize if you didn't get your ideal reaction from me."

Now it made sense, the person who confessed to her just now was the Drama Club president, Kizano Sunobu.

"Forgive me for not recognizing you, Sunobu-senpai." She said, turning to her upperclassman. "I didn't recognize you without any type of costume on."

Kizano was always in practicing for one role or another, so she never really got the chance to meet him in person or even bump into him or anything. She's seen his social media account of course, but most of his pictures consisted of him wearing thick make-up and sometimes even a wig or his hair dyed. He was really dedicated when it came to his acting career.

"Oh? I see! So that was it!" Kizano laughed. "It seems I've taken so many roles that commoners have even forgotten what I really looked like!"

"That's the president for you!"

"You're like Johnny Depp!"

"Amazing!"

Yeah, yeah. Could she leave now?

"So, are you saying, little girl, that you would've accepted my confession, had you known who I was?" he asked, seeming to sparkle against the light with his large ego.

"No, my answer would've still been the same." She deadpanned and the whole Drama Club gawked at her. "Like I said; I'm not interested. Now if you would excuse me, I'll be taking my leave."

Without another word, she left, leaving the room in complete silence.

"What the hell was up with that girl?!"

"Sunobu-sama! Please don't mind her!"

"Like I said, no taste!"

"Well, knowing Aishi-san, it isn't really that surprising." Ran sighed, catching Kizano's attention.

"Is that girl always like that?"

"Huh? Oh yeah, she's a bit of a loner and it's rare to see her actually showing any emotion. Everyone in our class thinks she resembles a ghost."

"Well, she does have a resting bitch-face."

"I can see how that could be intimidating."

"Wait, is she the same Aishi that joined the Gaming Club?"

"Huh? I thought Ran said she was a loner?"

Kizano pondered for a moment. To think that there was a woman in the world who could resist his charms. She even listened to his heartfelt speech with a blank look! She had no reaction when he dragged her in either.

He smirked.

It looks like he found someone interesting.

* * *

Ayano pretended that she didn't have that little encounter with the Drama Club, although she made a mental note to avoid them as much as possible.

Time passed and before she knew it, school was over. She decided to check on the remaining clubs before she went home. There were three more; the Occult Club, the Gardening Club and the Sports Club. She figured that she'd just take a peek at the Occult Club, since most of them weren't really social.

On her way there though, she spotted someone.0

Oko Ruto, the president of the Occult club, was stalking the Basu sisters once again. And he was doing a piss poor job at it, too.

Ayano, being skilled in the field of information-gathering, knew the basics of it and was an expert stalker. No, she was not a creep, she was an assassin. There happened to be a difference. And that difference was what separated Ayano from Oko.

She sighed, walking up to her peer. "Ruto-kun."

He jumped, whipping his head around to face her, he visibly paled which she didn't even know was possible with his skintone.

"A-ah, y-yes? How may I help you?"

"I apologize for… disturbing you. My name is Ayano Aishi from Class 2-1." She bowed. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Ah… Likewise…" he bowed.

"I was wondering where the Occult club gets their materials from."

"… Huh..?"

"Well, I don't really see any such books in the library or any stores for that matter. Are the books the Occult club members carry around provided by the school?"

Oko was obviously confused at her interest but answered anyway. "We… use the club's funds and buy from a certain site…"

The conversation continued on from there, Ayano wasn't really interested since she already knew everything that Oko was explaining to her. Her mother happened to be a part of the Occult Club in her younger years and told her daughter all about it. To an extent, it interested her but Ayano wasn't sure if she wanted to follow her mother's footsteps so much.

But finding out information about the Occult Club isn't her objective.

"I see." Ayano nodded after Oko finished an explanation on monsters and how they could be hiding amongst humans. "Well, if I'm not mistaken, there are rumors spreading that there's a vampire or even a succubus in the school."

"Yes… I've heard about that too."

"But surely, most of us would've noticed by now if they existed in this school. Certain signs would surely give them away, like their routine for example."

"Routine..?" Oko asked.

Hopefully, the Occult Club president isn't stupid and would get the hint. Ayano nodded. "Yes, surely such beings would have a peculiar routine that they follow through without fail to help them survive in our world. Lifestyles of humans are different from other creatures after all."

"Yes… but it's also possible that they've adapted to our world…"

"But old habits are hard to break, Ruto-kun." Ayano said. "There may not be much, but there must be something; sometime during the day that they are vulnerable."

" … It's possible…"

"And surely, by this time they've gotten arrogant and let their guard down so it'll be easier to see them for what they really are."

"I… believe it's not that simple, Aishi-san…"

"I suppose so; after all we have no clue if this rumor is even true or not." Ayano sighed. "It's too bad."

"If we had an idea though…" Oko muttered, rubbing his arm sheepishly. "What do you think we should do..?"

There it is, Ayano's face remained impassive but deep inside she was smirking.

"Study it, of course. There must be some pattern to their behavior."

"And that would help us expose them…?"

"Yes, I believe knowing the enemy would lead us to their weakness which we can exploit." Ayano nodded, feeling oddly accomplished. Hopefully, this would stop the boy from making a fool out of himself all the time. Honestly, Ayano cringed every time her peripherals caught sight of the boy and she's had quite enough of it.

"Well, I better get going, Ruto-kun." She bowed. "I wish you luck on your club activities later."

"Ah… yes…" Oko nodded.

"Thank you for your time." She said before leaving, missing the thank you he had said back to her.

Ayano didn't bother to stop by the Occult Club after that and just went to the Gardening Club. From there, she saw the Gardening Club president and Taeko Yamada along with other irrelevant students. Ayano watched them work from the Garden's entrance. No one seemed to be aware of her presence, just as she liked it. They all seemed to be having fun but…

Ayano wasn't sure if she'll be able to feel the same way knowing that instead of being full of life, the Gardening Club was a graveyard. At least for her, since she buried a few bodies there. At least they made good fertilizer.

So she headed on to the Sports Club. And on her way, she passed by the delinquents of the school who always hung out near the furnace. Ayano didn't like them; they had always been a pain whenever she needed to burn some evidence. Why couldn't they find someplace else to hang out at?

Some of the delinquents glared at her when she passed by while others ignored her, since they often see each other. In their eyes, she was a clean freak who always went around collecting garbage and burning them to keep the school clean.

Ayano didn't really care what they thought of her as long as her occupation wasn't exposed.

"Hey, the Boss comes back tomorrow, right?"

"Yeah, today's the last day of her suspension."

"Man, I can't wait!"

Ayano ignored them and quietly headed towards the gym.

There was a basketball practice going on, so Ayano decided to sit on the bleachers to watch.

Her job required that she be in good shape, so last year, around the same time she was hired by Info-kun, she joined the martial arts club. She was a fast-learner so it didn't take her that long to surpass even the Martial Arts Club President, Budo. Of course, no one knew that. She practiced in secret and held back during practice at school.

Unfortunately, her job began to demand that she make sacrifices, which she was willing to make. The Martial Arts Club stopped being interesting when she realized that she was strong enough to overpower 99% of the student population and 50% of the teachers. So she stopped attending club activities, using the excuse that her mother didn't want her to spend time at school after class is over, with the killings that began happening last year. Budo understood, but rules were rules and she was kicked out and not allowed to join it again.

Not like she'd want to.

The Sports Club may be different from them though, unlike the Martial Arts Club, they have variety. She can polish all kinds of skills, and with various people excelling at various sports, Ayano was bound to find a challenge. If all goes well, she could probably even get a scholarship for college out of it, helping her become independent from both her parents and Info-kun.

That still didn't solve the problem of what she wanted to do in college though. Did she even _want_ to go to college?

"Hey!"

At that point, Ayano realized that she was spacing out way too often lately.

"Yes?" she asked, turning to face a tanned blond wearing a jersey.

Aso Rito, president of the Sports Club, and maybe her rival if she goes ahead with aiming to be at the top of the Sports Club.

"You here to check out the Sports Club?" he grinned at her and she only nodded. "Great! Want me to show you around?"

"No… It's fine, I'm simply here to observe."

"Oh?" he raises an eyebrow and he follows her gaze which was on the basketball players practicing. "You like basketball?"

"Not really, I don't know the rules." She said truthfully and was confused when he laughed at that. He then gave a detailed explanation about the rules while Ayano listened quietly, absorbing every detail and already coming up with possible techniques.

It should be easy for her, given enough time to study her opponent and also taking into account the reflexes she developed while under Budo's tutelage.

"Any questions?" Aso asked once he finished his explanation, when she shook her head he grinned. "You really are a fast-learner, aren't you, Ayano-chan?"

Ayano's eyes narrowed suspiciously and Aso raised his arms in mock surrender.

"Chill! I've heard about you from Budo."

Well, that made sense. But-

"He said you had a lot of potential and was really bummed out when you left, even going as far as saying you could've probably surpassed him in no time if you had just stayed a little longer than- what? Two months?"

"More or less." She nodded. "My mother-"

"Yeah, I know. She was concerned about all the disappearances and… deaths that started happening right? You can't blame her. All these cases in the school has everyone on edge." Aso sighed. "It looks like things have calmed down, but not entirely. Just yesterday, a girl's corpse was found near the back doors of the main building."

"Yes, I believe her name was Musume Ronshaku."

"You know her?"

"Not personally." She shrugged.

"Oh, well, point is it's still kind of dangerous so is your mom okay with you joining clubs again? You probably don't wanna have to end up getting kicked out of another club."

"We've reached a compromise." She shrugged.

"Really now?"he raised an eyebrow, although it seemed to be more out of amusement.

"Yes, even she can't deny that there's safety in numbers."

"Oh… Oh!" he grinned. "Now that I think about it, all these incidents happen without any witnesses, and there's always only one victim. So you should be fine if you stick to a group, is that what you're saying?"

At her nod, he chuckled. "You're really smart, Ayano-chan!"

"Thank you."

"So then, you plan on joining the Sports Club?" he asked. "After everything I've heard from Budo, I'll be happy to have you!"

"Actually, I'm still deciding on what club to join."

"Huh? So you've checked out some other clubs?"

"This is the last one."

"Aw, well, save the best for last after all!" he grinned. "Don't worry, if you join the Sports Club I'll be sure to look after you. Your mother won't have to worry about a thing!"

"I'm sure she'll be happy to hear that." She gave a polite smile. "Thank you for being so accommodating, Rito-senpai."

"Don't sweat it!" he said. "If you ever join us, I bet you'll be our Ace in the woman's team! So don't you be shy about coming to me if you need anything!"

"Yes, I'll keep that in mind."

"Ah, actually, do you want to exchange phone numbers?"

… Maybe making friends was easier than she thought.

That day, Ayano went home feeling accomplished, oblivious to what's to come in the future.

* * *

 **I hope you liked it ~ ! And thank you all for your wonderful reviews!**

 **So just to clarify, the story began on a monday, and then this chapter, along with a portion of the last, occurs on a tuesday. I just thought it was important to point that out.**

 **ANYWAY, I am obviously going to assume that you've all watched the Male Rival Introduction Video so can I just ask, near the end, who's the guy that resembles a long-haired L (the guy from Death Note)? The one that comes after Info-kun? Can anyone please tell me, I'm confused.**

 **Some of you asked for some Info-kun X Ayano and there might be scenes that IMPLY that, but it's just cases of a guy and a girl being friends and people looking into it too much. I haven't decided on it yet, still working on some Taeko X Info-kun.**

 **I managed to upload quickly, but I'm not sure if I'll be able to upload next week. I mean, I've already started on the chapter so we'll have to see. Wish me luck! I don't know if I'll be able to introduce the other rivals next week though. Probably just the nurse. If you haven't noticed, the introduction of the rivals are according to their order in the video.**

 **A quick note before I go, the reason why Osano behaves differently (or at least I think he does) than the others is because he's been Ayano's classmate since their first year. He's already in love with Ayano while the other rivals are still in the midst of falling for her. So yeah, if you were wondering about that then there you go. Also, I apologize if Oko's scene was a little too short. I don't think it takes much to make Oko fall in love, you know? He meets someone that advices him, doesn't think he's weird because of his hobby and actually finds it interesting as well. In my opinion at least, that will be enough to make him fall in love. There's also the fact that Ayano's always calm and reliable while he, and most of the Occult Club members, are timid and cowardly. Can you understand the point I'm trying to make here?**

 **Oko's scene was really hard to write.**

 **Well, with that said and done, Please review ~ !**

 **~ RnR ~ !**

 **~ RnR ~ !**


	3. Chapter 3

**5,849 words, if you include the omake. Pretty good. I thought that since I'm focusing on a lot of characters, my normal minimum word count of 3K words per chapter isn't going to cut it. Especially since I need to sprinkle in scenes that would develop each character's relationship with Ayano. I really hate it when relationships are rushed and I don't think I'll be able to avoid it in this particular fic, but I would like it to be a natural transition. You know, something that didn't just come out of nowhere. I want the emotions of each character to be rooted somewhere. With the exception of a few select individuals... It'll make sense soon ^_^**

 **There's also the fact that I'll only update once a week, so I want you guys to have something to go by until my next update. Tbh, I'm not that contented with this chapter but it'll have to do I guess? I just want to get the introduction over with. The next chapter will have the introduction of all the rivals. So look forward to that!**

 **Before we start, I would like to thank you all for the wonderful reviews! Please keep supporting this fic and I'll keep doing my best. It's been really fun to write, even though I'm not always content with them.**

 **Anyway, on with the story!**

* * *

 _Ring._

 _Ring._

 _Ring._

 _Ri-_

"Hello?" Ayano spoke in a polite tone.

" _I heard you made some new friends_."

"I'm hanging up."

" _So you're just going to forget about me? And everything we've been through_?" Info-kun asked in a mock hurt tone.

"I can't wait to be rid of you."

" _Ah, so that's why you started acting friendly. Making connections, huh_?" he chuckled. " _No matter how hard you try, you can't beat me when it comes to intel though. So if that's your end goal, I suggest you save your energy for more important things_."

"It's about needing to see you or hear your voice less."

" _You've always craved for independence_."

"If I have to spend any more time with you, I might just hunt you down."

" _You won't be able to find me, either way_."

Ayano scowled.

" _But seriously, do you know how shocked I was? I didn't think you could actually be nice if you tried, though you're still a bit awkward_."

"I don't really care what you think, in my opinion I did well today."

" _Oh~? Really_?" he asked in a teasing tone. " _Look at you, doing your best. It's like you're turning over a new leaf. You were even polite when you answered your phone_."

"I couldn't be sure who it was."

" _Just check the caller ID; you know that's a thing, right_?"

"Old habits die hard; you're the only one who ever called me so I never bothered to check before."

" _Yeah, remember the good ol' days? When I was your only friend_?"

"You're not my friend, never have and never will."

" _You're right. I'm your boss_." His smug tone made her scowl. " _And as your superior, let me give you some advice. If you're not used to something, take it slow. For example, if you're used to only one person ever calling you, take your time in opening up to other people. Don't immediately give your number to three people in one day. What, are you gonna go for five tomorrow_?"

"Don't tell me what to do."

" _I'm only giving you advice. Jeez, if only you treated me the same way as your new friends_." He sighed. " _Honestly, I'm your childhood friend. You should act nicer to me_."

"I wish we never met."

" _Ouch_." He said sarcastically, Ayano was about to hang up then and there when she suddenly remembered something.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

" _Tell you what, Yan-chan_?" she cringed at the nickname.

"You know what. The Gaming Club, I can't join other clubs as long as I'm affiliated with them even though they're not an official club."

" _Oh, that_." She could hear him smirk. " _I thought I'd let you figure it out yourself, it'll help you be more independent_."

She immediately hung up; if she listened any longer she might really end up hunting him down. Not even ten seconds have passed before her phone rang again.

 _Ring._

 _Ring._

"Tsk." She went to pick it up. "What?"

"… _This a bad time_?"

Ayano blinked in confusion before she realized in horror that the caller was not Info-kun.

"R-Rito-senpai. Forgive me for my harsh tone; I just got off the phone with… someone unpleasant."

" _Unpleasant? Is someone bothering you_?" Aso asked, sounding genuinely concerned.

"No… Well, yes but it's fine. That's just the way he's always been."

Aso must've heard the annoyance in her tone, but instead of asking about it, he only laughed. " _So a childhood friend, huh_?"

Ayano had the uncharacteristic urge to throw her phone.

"Why do say?" she asked, trying to keep her cool.

" _Well, it sounds like you've known each other for a long time. And even though you said he was 'unpleasant' you said it was fine. I have a lot of friends like that_!" he laughed. But Ayano couldn't help but be surprised at this new piece of information.

"You… have friends like that?"

" _Yeah! They annoy me and sometimes I just wanna kick a ball right to their heads, y'know? But they've always got my back when it matters. Those are the friends you gotta treasure the most_."

'Got my back'. Info-kun had always been someone she relied on during times of need, although begrudgingly. So does that mean he really was her friend?

"Having friends that drive you to the point of insanity is normal?" she asked incredulously.

" _Of course! Why? Did you think your friends were the only people in the world who mess around_?"

Ayano was silent for a moment, processing the newly acquired information. So it was a way of bonding? Ayano always knew she was weird but she didn't realize how clueless she was of society's standards of 'normal'.

"Well, to be fair, there's only one of him." She said.

" _One? How about your friends back in middle school? You don't hang out anymore_?"

"I didn't have any." She stated simply. It's never been a big deal for her, but she's starting to think that it would've been better if she had socialized a bit more.

The line was so silent, Ayano started to wonder if it was cut. She was about to call out when Aso spoke again.

" _You wanna hang out sometime_?"

Hang out. The term used by her peers when bonding with their friends, although to her knowledge, it's usually done in a group. Well since she had always been a loner, maybe she has to ease into it first? Start out with one or two before going with groups?

She really didn't want to have to ask Info-kun about this but it looks like she's going to have to.

"Well, I don't mind, but don't you have practice?"

" _We don't have practice during Fridays, we use that time to rest before going at it again through the weekends. So maybe we could hang out then? You can tell me all about your friend and complain about him as much as you like_."

"… Wouldn't that be a waste of your time?"

" _Nah, it'll be fun. We'll make fun of him behind his back and you can call him too so our insults'll be more direct_."

"I don't think he'll take kindly to that."

" _He can consider it as payback for pissing you off today_."

Ayano didn't know what came over her but she giggled. 'Hanging out' this Friday sounded like…

Fun.

Huh.

"Are you sure it won't be a bother?"

" _Absolutely_."

"Okay… I'll see you then."

" _Right! Rest up, okay? Make sure to eat a lot and head to bed early_."

"Yes." She said. "Ah, Rito-senpai?"

" _Yeah_?"

"Why did you call, by the way?"

" _Oh… well, I just wanted to check up on you_."

"Oh." Was the only thing she could say. That was new. "Thank you, and I'm feeling much better now."

He chuckled. " _That's good to hear_."

"Good night, Rito-senpai."

" _Good night, Ayano-chan_."

Ayano hung up, but still found herself staring at her phone. When she decided to build up on acquaintances and broaden her connections, she expected it to be a chore.

But having friends might not be so bad.

Her phone beeped, signaling that she got an email.

 _From: Amao Odayaka_

 _Have you eaten yet?_

"Ah." She hasn't, but she wasn't really in the mood to make something.

 _To: Amao Odayaka_

 _I think I'll be skipping dinner for today._

 _From: Amao Odayaka_

 _Why? D:_

 _To: Amao Odayaka_

 _I've had a long day, so I think I'll just go to sleep._

 _From: Amao Odayaka_

 _It's not healthy to skip meals._

 _To: Amao Odayaka_

 _It's fine, I'm used to it._

There was a pause between that text and the next one but Ayano thought nothing of it.

 _From: Amao Odayaka_

 _Do you want to join me for breakfast tomorrow?_

She couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at this.

 _To: Amao Odayaka_

 _Breakfast?_

 _From: Amao Odayaka_

 _Yeah, I always have breakfast at school but it can get lonely sometimes. Won't you join me?_

 _To: Amao Odayaka_

 _I suppose I can._

 _From: Amao Odayaka_

 _Great! :D See you! Sleep well~_

 _To: Amao Odayaka_

 _Good night and see you tomorrow, Amao-senpai._

Was that considered as 'hanging out'? She wasn't sure, but she was making good progress with the relationships with her acquaintances. Ayano couldn't help but be smug, and Info-kun thought she was awkward.

Well, she was, but that didn't stop her from doing so well.

If this keeps up, her reputation would grow and maybe she'll be able to do things like manipulate others to do her bidding. She managed to do so before, but she had to be more subtle about it. But if you're popular, everyone would want to be on your good side, so they'll be willing to do favors for you. That's bound to make her life, and jobs, much easier in the future.

She wondered why she didn't do this before.

... Oh, right, it's because she didn't really care about her peers and only thought of them as nuisances to her jobs. She thought that as long as she didn't have a bad reputation and people never suspected her for the incidents that occur in school then she was fine. But after her encounter with Osano-kun, she realized that some people may actually have uses.

Speaking of Osano-kun, if she wanted to continue with her path to a good reputation, she'll have to start with her classmates. So she grabbed her phone once again and dialed. She took a deep breath to calm herself as the phone rang, which was a while, she noticed. Maybe he was busy?

" _H-hello_?"

"Good evening, Osano-kun." She said, not failing to notice the nervousness in his voice. "Is this a bad time?"

" _N-no, but that doesn't mean I like to have my time wasted. This better be good_!"

"I see… Well, I was just wondering if you want to… hang out tomorrow." The words still felt foreign on her lips.

" _Huh? H-hang out_?"

"Yes, only if you're free that is."

Let's see, what was it that normal people do when they 'hang out'. Bonding, of course, but the method of which depends between person to person. So she'll probably leave their activities to Osano-kun. This is also a perfect opportunity to gather information that's not on his social media and figure out possible ways he can be useful to her.

But she had to make it sound natural, like a friend simply asking to spend some time together.

"I was hoping we could talk about the clubs. We didn't really have the chance to do so today. I would also like to hear your interests, maybe we could end up joining the same club."

" _Wha- ? Didn't I tell you that it was too much of a hassle_?" he snapped. It made her wonder if he had an unpleasant person in his life- an 'Info-kun'- that also pisses him off and he had just got off the phone with that person, much like she did earlier. " _I-I didn't decide to help you out so we could join the same club, you know_?"

"Yes, but wouldn't it be nice if we did?" she asked. She'd rather not be an outsider when she joins a club, it would be nice if there was someone she knew that was also there. She didn't really make friends with a lot of people that day, just a handful and there was still a chance that she'd end up on a club where she isn't acquainted with anyone there.

The line went silent for a while and Ayano started wondering if the signal at her house was faulty, it never happened with Info-kun before. Although maybe it was because he had a lot of high-tech gadgets, she didn't really know how it worked.

" _I mean, I guess I wouldn't mind_." He muttered.

"It would be nice if we got to know each other more, maybe we have similar interests." She said. "You seem like a very smart person, Osano-kun so I think we'll get along well."

" _I-If you say it like, it sounds weird! Idiot_..." He said, muttering the last part. Ayano couldn't help but blink in confusion. Did it sound weird? How? She'll have to be careful with her words from now on, although it could take some getting used to.

"Really? I apologize if I made you uncomfortable then."

" _It's fine! Tomorrow we can have lunch together_."

"Lunch?" she echoed. "But Osano-kun, don't you always have lunch with Yamada-senpai?"

" _H-how did you know about that_?!"

… Shit, was that not common knowledge? She didn't blow her cover, did she? Ayano often forgets that she has more information about students than the what is considered 'normal' especially for a loner.

"I… often see the two of you when I pass by the plaza."

" _Oh… where do you usually eat anyway_?"

Sometimes (a lot of times), she skips meals for her work. But…

"There are times that I eat at the rooftop or the classroom, but I prefer eating at the cherry blossom tree at the back of the school." She replied.

" _You mean that tree with the myth about confessing_?"

"Yes, they say that when you confess to someone under that cherry blossom tree on a Friday, your love is sure to be requited. I personally don't think there's anything magical about that tree, but I do feel there's something special about it." She explained. "You also have a nice view, and the atmosphere is definitely relaxing."

" _Oh… then we can have lunch there_." He said, which surprised her a bit.

"Really? It's fine if you want to eat at the plaza, though."

" _It's fine_!" he reassured, yet still somehow managing to sound annoyed. " _I wanted to try eating there anyway, it does look like a good place to hang out at during lunch_ …"

"I see." She nodded. "Well then, I suppose I'll see you tomorrow then, Osano-kun."

" _You know, you could've just told me tomorrow_." He grumbled. " _I mean, I wouldn't mind hanging out with you anytime… S-since it's not like I have anything better to do anyway._ "

"That's good to hear, Osano-kun. I was worried that if you had plans, I would be putting you on the spot if I asked you tomorrow."

" _It's fine, as long as you don't waste my time, okay_?" he snapped.

"I'll do my best not to get in your way too much."

" _Good_!"

"Well then, see you tomorrow, Osano-kun. I hope you sleep well."

" _Y-yeah… Good night_ …"

Hang up.

She has this whole popularity thing in the bag. Ayano couldn't help but smirk victoriously.

The next day, Ayano rushed to school. She forgot to set her alarm earlier than usual so she could join Amao for breakfast at school. Luckily, she was able to arrived before majority of the school's population did. She sighed, breakfast shouldn't last longer than an hour right? That should be enough time for her to spend time on the cooking club and get to class on time.

Ayano had just changed into her indoor shoes and was heading to the cooking club when someone stopped her.

"Pardon me, but are you feeling okay? Your face is completely red!" a voice asked, sounding very concerned. She turned around to face a tall man, obviously older than her. It's only then that she noticed that she was sweating profusely from physical exertion. Maybe she should start exercising during mornings; she was starting to get out of shape since she left the Martial Arts Club.

"Please don't worry about me, it's just because I rushed to school…" she explained. The man in front of her was a nurse, he could tell by the uniform. She could vaguely remember the previous one quitting for one reason or another. Faculty members, with the exception of a handful of them, had the tendency to come and go. It was rare to see someone actually last for a few years. So this man must be replacing the one who just quit. Ayano made a mental note to look into him later on.

"Really? It's still very early though, so it's not like you're late or anything." He asked, obviously confused. The man was quite charming, he actually reminded her of Amao in a way. He had pink hair and seemed kind and gentle.

"I agreed to meet up with someone this morning."

"Oh, I see!" he said in understanding. "I thought you got the time on the clocks mixed up, that actually happened to me one time. Looked at it and it said it was 10AM, but it was actually 7! I should really learn to set them right."

He laughed but all Ayano could think was that this person was not the brightest. How did he pass med-school and yet confuse the time on clocks? Moreover, why doesn't he just use his phone? It's easier to set the time and alarms.

"Well, I supposed I've kept you for long enough. Just wanted to check if you weren't sick or anything." He said. Well, he was considerate at least. "I'll leave you be then."

He waved off, and Ayano was about to let him leave when she noticed something.

"Not to be rude or anything, but… where are you going?"

"Hm? The infirmary. I'm the new nurse, after all." He smiled brightly, seeming so proud but Ayano only frowned.

"… You're heading the opposite way though…"

"Huh? R-really?" he asked before frantically looking through his bag. "Oh! I must've read the school's map wrong! Now let's see… Ah."

Ayano blinked and stared at him expectantly.

"I… I forgot the map at home." He muttered before proceeding to sulk.

' _The school must've been really desperate when they hired you_.' She couldn't help but think. Granted, with the disappearances and deaths occurring, as well as the high expectations for the faculty members, it doesn't come as a surprise that people aren't so eager to apply for a job at Akademi High.

But was there really no one else other than this airhead that could take the job? Ayano started to worry about Akademi High's future.

"I could lead you there." She said.

Might as well.

"R-really? I-it's not too much trouble, is it?"

"It's fine." She said before walking off with the new nurse in tow.

"Thank you very much! I'm Mujo Kina, by the way." He happily introduced.

"Ayano Aishi, it's nice to meet you, Kina-sensei."

"Please, call me Mujo." He smiled. Mujo Kina was definitely similar to Amao Odayaka, personality-wise that is.

"Mujo-sensei, then." She nodded. "Is this your first time in Akademi High?"

"Ah, no, actually. I used to be a student here." He grinned. "It feels like it's a long time ago though. And the school has changed a lot since then."

"I see."

"How about you, Ayano-chan? What year are you?"

"Second."

"I see, so there's only one year to go, huh?" he hummed. "Have you decided on what to do after you graduate."

Ayano tensed. "… Not really."

Mujo chuckled. "Ah, I was the same. But don't worry about it too much, it'll come to you naturally. When I was your age, I never thought I would end up being a nurse."

"Really?"

"Yep! But now, I couldn't imagine being anything else!" he grinned. "I'm glad I got to come back here too, makes me remember all those good ol' days. It's a shame that most people are afraid to come here, they don't realize what a great school Akademi High is. Well, I mean I don't blame them since everything that's been happening lately is really scary. What happened to the last nurse was very unfortunate too, bless her poor soul."

Ayano couldn't help but perk up at that statement. They reached the infirmary, but Ayano saw no harm in continuing their conversation.

"What happened to the last nurse?" she asked. She doesn't remember doing anything to her, after all. Could it have been something Info-kun did?

"She was traumatized after finding a corpse, it must've been horrible for her." He sighed. "It happened just earlier this week."

Ah, so she's the one who found Musume Ronshaku.

"Well, there's no use worrying about that now. I'm sure the police would find the culprit soon." He said, turning to her with a smile. "Thank you for helping me, by the way. You're a really nice girl, Ayano-chan."

Oh, if only he knew.

"It's no problem Mujo-sensei."

"Don't be a stranger, alright? If you need anything, come see me anytime. I'll be happy to take care of you." He smiled. "Actually, I think there are some vitamins here. You should take some, nothing wrong with some extra nutrients after all."

He reached toward the shelf right next to Ayano. It seems like instead of food like Amao, he gives medicine as a symbol of gratitude. Ayano thought it was fitting.

"You don't need t-"

CRASH!

"Ow!" he cried out while Ayano just groaned in pain. Mujo just tripped and fell, right onto Ayano no less.

Ayano opened her eyes to see Mujo right on top of her, blushing with wide eyes. Ayano couldn't help but blush as well; this was a bit of a compromising position… If anyone were to walk in on them like this, Mujo would be fired on the spot and Ayano's reputation would crash.

For some reason, he didn't make any move to get up though. He just stared at her in shock. Shouldn't she be the one doing that? Or did he get a concussion when he fell? She didn't see him hit his head though.

Why was he looking at her like that? Was there something on her face? Ayano felt incredibly uncomfortable.

"M-Mujo-sensei?" she asked, wondering if she's going to have to call an ambulance. This seemed to have snapped him out of it though, and his already red face got even darker. Was that a symptom of a concussion? Ayano would have to look into it.

"Oh gosh, I've gone and done it again!" he said, sounding very embarrassed. "How did we end up like this..?"

She would like to know that too.

"I-I'm so sorry, are you alright, Ayano-chan?" he asked worriedly.

'Shouldn't you ask that after you get off of me?' she thought, but instead said "I'm fine, Mujo-sensei. Would you please… help me up?"

"Oh! Of course!" he quickly got up, much to her relief. That was one disaster averted. "I'm really sorry! I can be a bit clumsy sometimes."

"It's fine." She said. "Will you be alright, Mujo-sensei?"

"Yeah… don't worry, I'll manage!" he said. From the start, he seemed like the positive type but Ayano was having doubts about how reliable he is.

But…

She also noticed an opportunity from this.

The infirmary is filled with all sorts of things, like tranquilizer and poison. And to her luck, the airheaded new nurse seems to have had a good impression on her.

It was something she could definitely take advantage of.

"If you want, I could come over and help you every once in a while." She volunteered. Opening new opportunities and also increasing her reputation. She was on a roll!

"H-huh? Oh, you don't have to!" he said.

"It's fine, Mujo-sensei. Since you're the only nurse in this school, I'm sure you'll need all the help you can get." She said, smiling. Oh what a great day. She found herself another pawn! "… And I would like to learn more about medicine. Maybe I might end up with that as a career choice."

She didn't really think that she wants to be a doctor or anything, but if saying that will give her easy access to that sweet tranquilizer then so be it. It gets tiring trying to steal the keys.

"You don't mind?" he asked hesitantly.

"Not at all. I'm not in any club at the moment, so I have a lot of free time." Once she said that, his expression brightened up.

"Really? Then I'll be counting on you then!" he smiled. "I was so worried that I'd be lonely here too! The teachers seem so uptight and I wasn't sure if the students would like me… It's great that I got to run into you, Ayano-chan!"

"I'm happy to be able to help." She said.

And for a split second, there was a certain edge to his smile. A certain emotion passed through his eyes so fast, Ayano wasn't able to decipher it.

"You're very kind, Ayano-chan."

He reminded her way too much of Amao. It almost seemed as if they were both hiding something, she just couldn't figure out what. They behaved strangely, but not in a way that implied they were after her.

Now that she thought about it, their behavior reminded her of Osano-kun's, in a way. Only they seemed a bit more… mysterious?

Ayano was so confused. She made a mental note to have Info-kun check their backgrounds. They could be hiding something.

"Well then, I'll take my leave, Mujo-sensei."

"See you around, Ayano-chan!"

In the end, Ayano decided to brush off, thinking that it must've been a trick of the light. She's much too paranoid for her own good, after all.

 **OMAKE:**

Osano was playing video games when his phone rang. A quick glance at the screen made him freeze, he didn't even notice- or care- that he dropped his controller and lost the game.

 _Ayano Aishi_

 _Calling…_

"Wh-wha-?" For a second he panicked. Should he answer his phone? Well, he obviously should. He gave her his phone number after all, so it's natural that she would call him, but he didn't think she would so soon! Osano took a moment to calm his heart before answering.

"H-hello?"

" _Good evening, Osano-kun_." She said. " _Is this a bad time_?"

"N-no, but that doesn't mean I like to have my time wasted. This better be good!" he snapped out of panic.

" _I see_ …" she said. " _Well, I was just wondering if you want to… hang out tomorrow._ "

"Huh? H-hang out?" he asked, eyes widening.

' _What was she talking about?! Hang out? As in… Like a d-d-_ ' he blushed and was glad they had this conversation over the phone.

" _Yes, only if you're free that is_." She said. " _I was hoping we could talk about the clubs. We didn't really have the chance to do so today_."

That made him sigh in relief, so she just wanted help for the clubs. He ignored the tinge of disappointment in his heart. Well, if that was all there was to it, then it's not a big deal, right?

" _I would also like to hear your interests; maybe we could end up joining the same club_."

"Wha- ? Didn't I tell you that it was too much of a hassle?" he snapped. Just like his earlier brief disappointment, he also decided to ignore the way his heart seemed to skip a beat. "I-I didn't decide to help you out so we could join the same club, you know?"

" _Yes, but wouldn't it be nice if we did_?" she asked and he blushed some more. What was that supposed to mean?!

If they joined the same club, then they'd end up spending a lot of time together…

"I mean, I guess I wouldn't mind." He muttered.

" _It would be nice if we got to know each other more, maybe we have similar interests_." She said. " _You seem like a very smart person, Osano-kun so I think we'll get along well_."

Ayano was probably the smartest girl in class, so hearing that coming from her was something. It made him blush. Studying has never been his strongest point, but he might actually start taking it seriously from now on.

"I-If you say it like, it sounds weird! Idiot." He said, muttering the last part.

 _"Really? I apologize if I made you uncomfortable then_."

"It's fine! Tomorrow we can have lunch together."

" _Lunch_?" she echoed, sounding confused for some reason. " _But Osano-kun, don't you always have lunch with Yamada-senpai_?"

Osano's eyes widened. During lunch, everyday, Ayano always ends up disappearing to God knows where. So how could she know that?

She didn't think that he was dating Taeko, did she?

"H-how did you know about that?!" he asked and didn't miss the brief pause before her answer.

" _I… often see the two of you when I pass by the plaza_."

Well, they always ate there so that made some sense. Osano wanted to scream and clarify his relationship with Taeko, but he would look defensive if he said that out of nowhere.

"Oh… where do you usually eat anyway?"

" _There are times that I eat at the rooftop or the classroom, but I prefer eating at the cherry blossom tree at the back of the school_." She replied.

"You mean that tree with the myth about confessing?"

" _Yes, they say that when you confess to someone under that cherry blossom tree on a Friday, your love is sure to be requited. I personally don't think there's anything magical about that tree, but I do feel there's something special about it_." She explained. " _You also have a nice view, and the atmosphere is definitely relaxing_."

It was a stupid myth. Ridiculous and there's not much people who could back it up since very few had actually tried but…

Osano believed in that myth. He'd rather die than admit it though.

"Oh… then we can have lunch there." He said.

" _Really? It's fine if you want to eat at the plaza, though_."

"It's fine!" he said. "I wanted to try eating there anyway, it does look like a good place to hang out at during lunch…"

" _I see. Well then, I suppose I'll see you tomorrow then, Osano-kun_."

"You know, you could've just told me tomorrow." He grumbled. "I mean, I wouldn't mind hanging out with you anytime… S-since it's not like I have anything better to do anyway!"

" _That's good to hear, Osano-kun. I was worried that if you had plans, I would be putting you on the spot if I asked you tomorrow_."

"It's fine, as long as you don't waste my time, okay?" he snapped. They've already exchanged phone numbers, so it's not like hanging out every once in a while is a weird thing, right?

" _I'll do my best not to get in your way too much_."

"Good!"

" _Well then, see you tomorrow, Osano-kun. I hope you sleep well_."

He blushed. Osano really wanted to talk to her for a little bit longer. But he supposed that just being able to hear her voice that night was good enough.

"Y-yeah… Good night…"

The call ended and he had to take a minute to get his act together.

He always wanted to eat lunch with her, but she always seemed busy doing whatever, probably studying in the library, not that he'd know. He wasn't a stalker, after all.

But now, he actually got the chance. He couldn't stop himself from smiling wildly.

He dialed a number on his phone.

 _Ring._

 _Ring._

 _Ri-_

" _Osano-kun_?"

"Taeko, I won't be eating lunch with you tomorrow, so just join your friends at the Gardening Club or something."

" _Eh? Why not_?"

"I… have something to do."

" _What is it? Did you get into trouble or something_?"

"No, idiot. Just- just eat with someone else tomorrow, alright?" he snapped. The other line was silent for a moment and he waited patiently for a reply.

"… _What? Do you have a date with Ayano-chan tomorrow or something? What's going on_?" she asked curiously. His face burned up at the mention of 'date'.

"Wh-what the hell are you talking about?! Don't say stupid things!"

" _OHMYGOD, YOU DO_!" he heard her squeal. " _Congratulations, Osano-kun! Best of luck! Don't worry, I won't get in your way_!"

"Hey! Don't get the wrong idea! We're just gonna have lunch together and talk about the clubs we're interested in…"

" _You're planning on joining the same club_?!" Taeko gasped. " _That's so smart of you, Osano-kun! If this keeps up, you'll win her heart in no time_!"

"J-just shut up!" he grumbled. "Anyway, that's all I called to say. I don't want you around so you could say weird things to her."

" _Aw, come on, Osano-kun! I wouldn't embarrass you in front of your crush_."

"Wh-who said anything about crush?!" he cried out.

Taeko only sighed which pissed him off even more.

"Don't you have better things to do?!"

" _Like what_?"

"Tomorrow will be your brother's first day at Akademi High right?"

" _Oh! Yeah, we've organized all the papers so he could finally transfer_!"

"Why'd he suddenly decide on Akademi High, though? Was he being bullied at his last school or something?"

" _No! He said that he just wanted to go to the same school as me_."

"So a sister complex, huh?" he muttered.

" _O-Osano-kun! Don't say such things about my brother_!"

' _It's probably true though_ …' he thought. "Yeah, yeah. Whatever. I'll see you tomorrow then."

" _Okay, good night, Osano-kun_."

He hung up. And that night, Osano had a good night's rest. He looked forward to lunch the next day.

* * *

 **What really bugs me is the italics. You know how you italicize certain words and then the entire sentence suddenly has a different tone. Or is that just me? Well, usually, I take the time to italicize the words once I upload it at Doc Manager here, but this week I don't have the time or energy to proofread. So I just went with italicizing the texts and calls, it takes less mental energy. So this chapter wasn't really proofread, one of the reasons why I'm not satisfied with it. So I'm sorry for any mistakes and whatnot.**

 **I know I said that I'll upload every week but I'm not sure if I'll be able to manage anything next week. I'll try my best though... It might be hard considering the fact that I plan to introduce the remaining four character in one go. Let's all hope for the best.**

 **ALSO, IMPORTANT.**

 **When I wrote this fic, I didn't really have a plan so whatever right? No big deal, right? Just bullshit your way through it like every other aspect of your life.**

 **Actually no, it IS a big deal. I don't know how to end this story. Believe me though, this story is far from ending. I have a lotta plans but I want to have an end goal. I've narrowed it down to three possible candidates on who Ayano could end up with (or maybe I'll just kill them all, who knows?) but I wanna know what you think**

 **POLL**

 **WHO SHOULD AYANO END UP WITH**

 **IT'S IN MY PROFILE**

 **GO THERE NOW**

 **THE FUTURE IS IN YOUR HANDS**

 **Or at least, it'll be slightly influenced by you. Tell me anything though, what's missing, suggestions, criticism and whatnot. I'll be happy to hear it. Also prompts. I'm still open in my offer of writing prompts you'd like to see. If you give me some, it'll help me write. So don't be afraid to say things~!**

 **Be patient for the next chapter, my dears. If I can't put up the next chapter by next week then I'll at least try to write an omake. I hope you can all be content with that, at least. It's stressful times but I'm sure I can manage to push through. So hopefully, you can continue supporting this fic.**

 **Please review ~ !**

 **~ RnR ~ !**

 **~ RnR ~ !**


	4. Chapter 4

**WTF HAPPENED TO WEEKLY UPDATES, JEN?!**

 **I'm so sorry! QAQ This took forever, and honestly it was because school has just been stressful (exams and all) and when that was over with, it took me SO LONG to get back into writing this! Basically, I got Writer's Block. FORGIVE ME OTL**

 **I'm actually hesitant about uploading this because not all the characters have been introduced. But I though that 4,900 words was enough and you guys deserved a chapter as soon as possible. Although it's not an eventful chapter... I'M SORRY, I'LL TRY TO UPLOAD THE NEXT ONE THIS WEEK OTL**

 **But for now... please settle with this w**

 **I hope you enjoy~!**

* * *

 **Group chat: Akademi High Club Presidents**

 ** _Megamo Saikou:_**

 _ANNOUNCEMENT: After lunch period is over, there will be an emergency assembly to discuss the recent incidences that have occurred. Please be noted that after the assembly, the school will immediately be closed off for a meeting between the student council and the faculty, so kindly cancel all club activities for today and inform all club members of this. Thank you for your cooperation._

 ** _Budo Masuta:_**

 _That's gonna be tough!_

 _I promised my new recruits that I'd give them some special training today!_

 ** _Megamo Saikou:_**

 _There are no exceptions, cancel your plans and be sure to vacate the school immediately after the assembly._

 ** _Kizano Sunobu:_**

 _Sounds like a pain, can we just not show up to it?_ ಠ_ಠ

 _I mean, I don't know about you mister student council president, but we have better things to do with our time._

 _I don't want to waste it in an overcrowded auditorium, dying of boredom._ (¬､¬)

 ** _Miyuji Shan:_**

 _I mean Sunobu probably could've phrased that better_ (*￣∀￣) _but he has a point there's a festival coming up my club needs to practice as much as we can!_ (⊙﹏⊙✿)

 ** _Kaga Kusha:_**

 _My team and I are in the verge of a scientific breakthrough that could very well change everything we know about artificial intelligence. Surely whatever topic to be discussed later does not reach this level of importance?_

 ** _Budo Masuta:_**

 _Is attendance required?!_

 ** _Megamo Saikou:_**

 _Yes._

 ** _Furredo Jonzu:_**

 _… Is anyone important gonna be there?_

 _What do you mean 'recent incidences'…?_

 ** _Megamo Saikou:_**

 _Only the Headmaster and the Guidance Counselor._

 _The death of Musume Ronshaku earlier this week and also the disappearance of Mino Buri a few weeks ago._

 ** _Aso Rito:_**

 _… Well I get that the school is concerned about all this but this has been going on for almost 1 year now :/_

 _why the sudden concern? And what's there to talk about?_

 ** _Info-kun:_**

 _Maybe they finally have a suspect?_

…

Amao almost dropped his phone upon seeing the new message. He was very understanding and didn't really mind that club activities had to be cancelled for the day, so he settled with silently watching the conversation in the group chat.

He did not expect for the infamous Info-kun to suddenly say something. He never says anything.

His ominous message didn't help either.

…

 ** _Megamo Saikou:_**

 _And what is that supposed to mean? INFO-KUN?_

 ** _Info-kun:_**

 _Nothing._

 _Just speculation._

 ** _Megamo Saikou:_**

 _And since when were you the type to share your thoughts?_

 ** _Info-kun:_**

 _Since now_

 ** _Furredo Jonzu:_**

 _… What do you mean by 'suspect'?_

 ** _Megamo Saikou:_**

 _Don't humor him, he'll just play with your mind._

 ** _Info-kun:_**

 _Exactly what it means._

 _And how it pains me to hear your words, Mr. President. Do you think that lowly of me?_

 ** _Megamo Saikou:_**

 _That's the only way to think of someone who blackmails girls and sells panty shots to boys._

 ** _Info-kun:_**

 _Oh? Do you have proof?_

 ** _Megamo Saikou:_**

 _…_

 ** _Info-kun:_**

 _That's what I thought._

 _Anyway, don't think too much about what I just said._

 _I just thought it would be nice to be more participative every once in a while._

 _In any case, you should be thanking me, Mr. President._

 _With this, I've piqued the club leaders' interests and they'll surely attend now._

 ** _Megamo Saikou:_**

 _I would've preferred it if you hadn't said anything and refrained from spreading unnecessary rumors._

 ** _Info-kun:_**

 _I only voiced my opinion._

 _It's entirely the choice of everyone here whether or not they'll decide to share this thought to other students. And something like that is completely out of my control._

 _And even if they did tell other students, what's the harm in that? People talk, nothing to worry about._

 ** _Furredo Jonzu:_**

 _I think being suspicious is just a part of the president's personality… Info-kun…_

 _And it doesn't help that you're talking like you know something…_

 ** _Info-kun:_**

 _Furredo Jonzu, I heard you and your club has been keeping an eye out for any suspicious activities around school lately. Turning over a new leaf and trying to do something more productive with your time now, I see?_

 _It looks like this year is filled with people trying to change themselves 'for the better'._

 ** _Kaga Kusha:_**

 _And what, pray tell, is THAT supposed to mean?_

 ** _Info-kun:_**

 _I was inspired to be more sociable by a friend of mine._

 _It's nothing you need to concern yourself over._

 _In any case, I look forward to the assembly later on, hopefully we'll get to learn something interesting._

 _I'll be sure to attend._

…

A few moments have passed before Amao checked the options in their group chat and realized that Info-kun has signed off. It made him feel strangely relieved. That guy somehow managed to make him tense without even being there.

Well, he supposed that should go without saying. Info-kun is infamous around the school as someone you do not want to mess with. Not that anyone was stupid enough to do that, of course.

Nobody knew who he was, just that he was a student and that you contact him whenever you need something, be it goods or services. Of course, you only approach him if you're desperate, since he's known for using… distasteful methods.

To think someone like that was going to their school, and moreover, he'll be attending the assembly! From what the President said, they're required to sit at the front. So maybe they'll finally get to figure out who he really was?

Amao snorted at that thought. There was no way, the President would have him expelled on the spot, evidence or nah. And Info-kun is smarter than that. He'll either not show up at all or sit wherever he pleases without a care for the rules. It's not like it's ever stopped him before.

…

 ** _Miyuji Shan:_**

 _(●_●)_

 _Hey you think he knows something?_ (꒪ȏ꒪;)

 ** _Furredo Jonzu:_**

 _… This is THE Info-kun we're talking about. He MUST know SOMETHING…_

 ** _Gema Taku:_**

 _Hes probly planing sumthin_

 _Guy lik thats alwys doin sumthin fishy_

 _Bttr kip an eye out prez_

 ** _Megamo Saikou:_**

 _THANK YOU for the tip, Mr. Unofficial-President._

 _But even if you didn't say that, I still would've done so._

 _And for the love of Akademi, learn to SPELL RIGHT._

 ** _Gema Taku:_**

 _I CAN spell right._

 _Jst 2 much trubl_

 _U gt th gst of wat Im sayin_

 ** _Kizano Sunobu:_**

 _That guy just gives me the creeps. Now I REALLY don't want to go_

 ** _Budo Masuta:_**

 _Really?!_

 _Ive gotten the impression that something bad might happen if we don't go though!_

 ** _Miyuji Shan:_**

 _HEY! Don't say that!_

 ** _Uekiya Engeika:_**

 _Now now… We shouldn't get ahead of ourselves..._

 _The student council will be leading this assembly, and they've always been reliable. I'm sure we all trust Megamo-kun with our safety._

 _The teachers will also be there._

 _As for what will be discussed later, the only way we'll be able to find out is by attending the assembly later, yes?_

 _I'm sure the faculty is just concerned with how the students are handling these incidents._

 _You all should have more faith in our school._

 ** _Geiju Tsuka:_**

 _…. I'll agree with Engeika-san and believe in President Saikou-san_

 _…for now._

 ** _Kaga Kusha:_**

 _Well, I've never been the one to jump to conclusions without any substantial evidence anyway._

…

Amao couldn't help but chuckle. Trust Uekiya-chan to be able to calm everyone down, this is exactly why she's nicknamed as "Everyone's Big Sister". At times, she's more reliable than the student council president, himself. This situation was just a perfect example.

She just knows exactly what to say.

…

 ** _Kizano Sunobu:_**

 _Ah~ You have such a way with words, don't you Uekiya-chan?_ (ˆ⌣ˆԅ)

 ** _Miyuji Shan:_**

(´‐ω‐）=з

 _Sunobu ruined the momen_ _t_

 ** _Kizano Sunobu:_**

 _I don't RUIN moments, I make the 1000000x BETTER_ (￣ω￣)

 ** _Kaga Kusha:_**

 _Well, if everyone no longer has anything relevant to say, I'll be logging off._

 ** _Budo Masuta:_**

 _OI! President!_

 ** _Megamo Saikou:_**

 _Yes, yes. Attendance is required. And please be sure not to speak of Info-kun's words to anyone outside of this chat._

 ** _Aso Rito:_**

 _… Why not?_

 ** _Megamo Saikou:_**

 _I've got better things to do with my life than to implement damage control from false rumors going around. The students' morale is already low and if anything else were to happen then it could seriously affect our school._

 ** _Miyuji Shan:_**

 _Got it. Be there after lunch and keep my mouth shut._

…

Amao put down his phone and went back to baking a cake for his junior- it was her birthday and he planned on giving it to her at lunch- when someone entered the clubroom.

"Pardon my intrusion." A familiar voice spoke rather timidly and Amao's face immediately brightened.

"Oh! Perfect timing! Won't you help me decorate this cheesecake?" Amao asked.

Ayano blinked at the offer. "Ah, I would like to but I have no experience in baking or decorating."

"Really? It's very fun though." He said smiling as he got back to work. "Maybe next time I'll teach you and then we can decorate a cake together, how's that sound?"

"I'm not really interested…" she muttered honestly, seeing no advantage in such a skill.

"Hm?" he turned to her, with that innocent smile still on his face. "Ah, sorry Ayano-chan, but I didn't really catch that."

Ayano frowned, not sure whether he was speaking sarcastically or not. She had trouble with that sometimes, so instead she decided to change the subject.

"Did you eat breakfast yet, Amao-senpai?"

"Ah, no. I was waiting for you actually!" he said, for some reason sounding excited. "You just go ahead and eat, Ayano-chan. I prepared something at the table for you, just let me finish this up and I'll join you in a bit."

Ayano brought her own breakfast but didn't see the harm in taking some of Amao's, it was unlikely to have any poison in it. She didn't really see him as a threat since he could've already killed her if he really wanted to.

"Eat as much as you like, okay? There's still plenty of food." He chirped. "Ah, by the way, you'll probably hear this later at class but there's going to be a school assembly after lunch."

Ayano perked up at this. "Assembly? For what?"

Amao almost told her but then paused. Did President Saikou-kun tell them not to tell anyone about the reason behind the assembly? Or was it just not to tell anyone about what Info-kun said in the chat? He couldn't really remember since he had been too shocked about Info-kun's sudden arrival.

Just to be safe, he decided to keep his mouth shut. Ayano didn't seem like the type to gossip but it would be best to not burden the girl with such knowledge, it might scare the poor thing. She's going to find out about it eventually anyway.

"Not sure, guess we'll just have to find out." He shrugged, maintaining his smile.

Ayano didn't miss the way he paused before answering the question though, and she was about to press further when she realized that it would only be suspicious.

"I guess we will…" she settled on saying before taking a bite out of a pancake which Amao must've prepared before her arrival.

"Ne, Amao-senpai." Ayano spoke up when he joined her at the table. "Can you tell me a little about yourself?"

Amao was a little taken back by the sudden question and the aura Ayano was emitting, it was a bit threatening to be honest, but went back to smiling.

' _Ah, she wants to get to know me better_!' he thought. ' _Although she's talking a bit like an interviewer, her tone would probably scare people away too, but I guess that's just the type of person she is_.'

Amao couldn't help but find it cute how she was trying to act friendly but instead gave off a different vibe. He made a mental note to ask her if she's having trouble making friends, since Ayano seemed like the awkward type.

Meanwhile, friendship wasn't what Ayano had in mind at all.

' _No matter how I look at it, he's suspicious_ …' she thought. ' _I should gather as much information about him as I can_.'

Amao then proceeded to tell her about his family, childhood and favorites before proceeding on to school things; his favorite and least favorite subject, classmates, and of course, the Cooking Club.

All of which, Ayano didn't really care about, so she started paying more attention to her food and only half-listened to him talk.

Was this how friendship was supposed to work? It made her wonder, but then again Aso-senpai had volunteered to just listen to her talk and complain about Info-kun, and the social butterflies of their school do spend a lot of time talking.

So she was just supposed to listen, or pretend to? This seemed easy enough. It didn't look like he was going to give away anything important- which, now that she thought about it, was naïve thinking since if he was indeed hiding something then he would be very careful about it- so she decided to let her suspicions be and simply ask Info-kun later, no matter how much she loathed to do so.

She made a mental note to study more about manipulation, specifically the type that is aimed towards getting information out of others. She recalls coming across something like that in their class during psychology. She better look into it...

"I've already been offered a scholarship at some culinary schools, and I honestly don't know which to choose." He sighed. "I'm not even sure if I want to go to culinary school, to be honest I'd much rather set up a small bakery here in this cozy little town but people keep telling me that it would be a waste of my 'talent'."

The way he said that word and the frown on his face caught Ayano's attention.

"Do you not think you're talented, Amao-senpai?"

"… Well, I'm not really fond of the term." He smiled bitterly. "Calling it a 'talent' makes it look like I was born with amazing cooking skills, you know? I mean, I've been cooking since kindergarten, granted I was more of an assistant in our kitchen and it could barely be called cooking at the time since my mom would do most of the work. But the point is that I worked hard to be as good as I am today, hours of practice and perfecting cooking techniques finally paid off but now people are brushing it off as 'talent'."

Amao made a long-suffering sigh. "It's just frustrating, you know?"

No, Ayano didn't know. She was finding it difficult to understand.

She tried, and she considered herself as a smart girl but she couldn't for the life of her figure out what her senpai's problem was.

"It's important to put into consideration the opinions of others, but I think you're taking it a little too far senpai." She said. "Whether they call you talented doesn't matter, you wish to build a bakery, correct? Then build one, with your skills it will definitely be a success."

Amao was a little taken back by her words and his silence was taken as a sign to go on.

"It doesn't matter if they say that it's a 'waste of your talent' or whatever nonsense, you shouldn't let what other people say cloud your judgment." She said, finishing her meal and finally looking him in the eye after a while of just focusing on her food. "It will only deter you from your goal."

And for a few moments, Amao just stared at her and didn't say anything. Ayano didn't say anything either and she didn't really know how to feel. For the past half-hour, Amao had been telling her about himself but he was still a puzzle to her. And this only added to it, for as long as she could remember, Ayano lived life with goals and her only mindset was in achieving them. Granted, they were short-term goals and involved either doing well in school or successfully performing tasks given to her by either Info-kun or her mother. But that's pretty much what her life has been about, achieving goals. Anything else that didn't involve that was only a hindrance that should either be ignored or eliminated.

Amao was silent for a moment, only staring at her in surprise.

But then he chuckled. He _chuckled_ ; Ayano was starting to question the mental stability of her senpai.

"You're right… I guess people's expectations were starting to get to me." He said, and for some reason Ayano found the particular smile he gave her different from all the other ones. "You're quite good at giving advice, Ayano-chan."

"You think so?" she's never done so before, Info-kun certainly never asked for her advice-or even opinion- on things.

"Yeah. I feel much better now."

Had he been depressed? Ayano didn't notice, Amao was really good at hiding his emotions. (Similar to her mother, this only strengthened the need to keep an eye on him).

"It's almost time for class, so we better go." She said, standing up with her plate on hand and heading to the sink.

"Ah, yeah." He nodded. "We should spend more time together, Ayano-chan."

"That sounds… good." She said. It gives her the opportunity to keep an eye on him.

"How about joining me for breakfast again tomorrow?"

"If it doesn't bother you senpai, then I would love to." She needed to be here early to help out Mujo-sensei anyway.

' _Wait_ ,' she suddenly thought. ' _was 'love' too strong of a word_?'

She didn't really think about it much when she said it; she just wanted to get to class quickly. Being late would affect her reputation after all. But, according to the manga she read last night, saying certain words could have a negative effect on relationships, even if they seem harmless. What if Amao now thought of her as someone who's too clingy?

But that didn't seem to be the case since the cooking club president actually seems to brighten at her answer.

"Great! See you, then, Ayano-chan~!" he suddenly got way too cheerful, and it kind of bothered her. What's gotten into him all of a sudden? "Ah, be sure to eat regularly, okay?"

"I'll do my best." She nodded. And for some reason, he seemed a bit bothered by her answer, but she paid no mind to this. "See you, senpai."

And she was off.

* * *

"That was cutting it pretty close." Osano scoffed when she arrived in their classroom. The bell had already rung but thankfully the teacher wasn't there yet, so she quickly made her way to her seat at the very back of the room, near the window. Osano was seated just in front of her.

"I stopped by the cooking club." She said simply, which seemed to pique his attention.

"You interested in cooking?"

"Not in particular, but it would admittedly be a very useful skill to have." She said. "What about you, Osano-kun?"

"Well, I can cook but just the basic stuff."

"Oh? That's surprising."

"Wha-? What's that supposed to mean?!" he asked a little too loudly, making a few heads turn, not that it bothered Ayano.

"Well, you didn't really seem like the type to take an interest in such things." She said, honestly. "You're actually quite responsible, Osano-kun."

He continues to exceed her expectations; it made her wonder if he was skilled in any form of combat. He didn't seem like the type, but he has been prone to surprising her.

"H-huh?! Wh-what are you talking about?" he spluttered. "Learning to cook is just common sense!"

It should be. Ayano was starting to notice that her classmate undervalues his skills; she made a mental note to bring it up later during their lunch.

Speaking of mental notes, she brought out her phone and sent a quick text.

 _To: Info-kun_

 _I need a favor; look into Amao Odayaka_

No sooner did she send that text did the sliding door of their classroom open, and from it entered a young man that was probably around the same age as Mujo-sensei. He was quite attractive, and from the uniform he was wearing, he was most likely a teacher. But Ayano has never seen him before and it also bothered her that one too many buttons of his shirt was unbuttoned, revealing the beginning of his perfectly toned chest. Surely that was against school regulations?

But then again, as what has been apparent with Mujo-sensei earlier that morning, the school was getting quite desperate.

"Good morning, class." He spoke in a smooth, deep voice. "My name is Mido Rana. Your old teacher, Puru Fessa, has resigned from her position due to personal reasons."

Ayano raised an eyebrow. If you think about it, that was suspicious; not only a nurse but also a teacher? Could it just be a coincidence? Or was it a pattern? Moreover, their teacher should've given the school at least a month's notice before resigning, and by then the students should have been informed as well which Ayano had no recollection of happening. So it must've been something that happened on short-notice.

Looks like this is yet another thing to ask Info-kun about.

"So until they find a replacement for her, I'll be your substitute teacher." He smirked. "I hope everyone pays close attention."

Someone actually screamed when he said that, it made Ayano flinch. She turned to see where the shriek came from (It was louder than any of the screams she's heard before, and she kills people for a living) and noticed that the entire female population of their class was swooning.

… What's gotten into them?

On that note, the boys in their class looked very annoyed as well. It made Ayano want to peek at Osano, but since he was right in front of her, she couldn't really see the face he was making.

"Alright then, let's start with a roll call." He took out a notebook. "Ayano Aishi?"

"Here." She raised her hand and spoke with her usual monotonous tone that was easy for a lot of people to look over.

And it would've ended at just that- it did. But Ayano was an assassin, possessing many skills that are either required or simply just useful for her line of work. One of those skills was observation.

Everyone else missed the way their new teacher's gaze lingered on her for a little while longer (Probably because the girls were too busy ogling him while the boys were glaring at him). But she didn't.

And this time, she was absolutely certain that she wasn't just being paranoid. Because just before he called the next student, she saw him smirk.

A small one, similar to Info-kun's when he was hiding something from her and was mocking her while at the same time not being too provocative.

What the hell was that?

And for the rest of their class, he kept sending discreet glances her way. Now that made her uneasy and her paranoia was through the roof. She was tempted to pull her phone out and send a message to Info-kun, but with how the teacher was keeping such a close eye on her, she doubted that she'll be able to get away with it.

Once class was finished, it felt like a weight was lifted from her shoulders.

"Does anyone mind helping me carry these to the faculty room?" he asked, gesturing towards the pile of homework given to them by their previous teacher. Every girl in the class (except for Ayano, of course, who was in the process of pulling her phone out of her bag) immediately volunteered and Mida chuckled at their enthusiasm. "Well then, how about…"

He took out the attendance book and glanced at its contents before giving out a name. "Aishi-san?"

Ah, crap.

It would be rude to decline helping, won't it? And her classmates already know her as the sort of 'teacher's pet' type, so it would appear suspicious if she suddenly declines to help.

"Ah… yes." She hesitantly placed her bag down, trusting Osano to look after it without being told and made her way to the front desk. She could hear her classmates muttering how lucky she was, all assuming that she got chosen just because her name just so happens to be the first one on the class' list which was organized in alphabetical order.

She didn't agree though, something fishy was going on.

Grabbing the stack of papers, she proceeded to head on to the faculty room alongside her new teacher. They were silent at first, and despite how awkward other people would've found the situation, Ayano honestly didn't mind and hoped it stayed that way. But unfortunately, things never seem to go her way.

"So… Aishi-san? Are you having trouble in class?"

She blinked. "Not in particular."

"Really? Because you looked a bit distracted earlier."

"Ah, please excuse my behavior. I didn't mean to be rude." So he noticed? Then she was right in assuming that he was keeping quite a close eye on her.

"Something in your mind?"

"You could say that."

"Is it something you would like to share?"

"Not in particular."

He chuckled, and the sound of it sent shivers down her spine. This man made her uneasy, even more than Amao's strange behavior.

"Were you close to the previous teacher?"

"I helped her out every once in a while."

"Well, that explains it!"

This made Ayano stop in her tracks.

"Excuse me?"

"She actually spoke about you, and asked me to keep a close eye." he said. "She seemed very worried as well, to be honest."

Something was fishy about what he said, she just couldn't put her finger on it. But it was true that her previous and now-retired homeroom teacher often inquired about her life and seemed a bit nosy. Although she had just thought that that was a part of her personality and paid no mind to it. Ayano never considered that her teacher could actually be concerned about her.

"What did she say?"

"Nothing specific, just to keep an eye on you. Although you honestly don't seem like the troublemaker so I thought it had something to do with your grades."

"I would like to think that my grades are fine." she frowned. "They're not outstanding, but at the very least I'm above average."

" _Oh_?" he asked, _smirking_. "If you don't mind, I would like to have a more... _in depth_ conversation about your performance in school. Would you mind coming to class early tomorrow morning?"

She frowned but nodded. "I usually make it a habit to come to school early anyway," since it's so much easier to prepare for assassinations early on so that things go smoothly when she actually executes them. "I'm usually here by around 7AM."

"Great!" he grinned (still looked like a smirk, though!) before taking the stack of papers Ayano had been carrying with such grace and ease that it made her wonder why he even asked anyone to help him carry them in the first place. She seemed physically capable at the very least.

Ayano had been so engrossed in their conversation, as well as thoughts about her previous homeroom teacher, that she hadn't noticed that they had already arrived at the faculty room.

"Thank you for your help, Aishi-san." he said, and it could've been a trick of the light but she could've sworn that she saw some emotion (dark, but not murderous, almost amused?) flash through his eyes but it was gone in a blink of an eye. He leaned forward, their faces so close that even the ever so apathetic Ayano Aishi couldn't help but blush. "I look forward to our little chat tomorrow then."

He went into the faculty room and closed the door behind him, leaving a very confused student/assassin to wonder what the fuck just happened.

Ayano blinked, her mind trying to catch up and try to comprehend what that was all about before taking deep breaths to calm herself. The substitute teacher certainly was... interesting. To the point that she actually couldn't wait for their talk tomorrow, he seems like someone with something valuable to say.

Although he was still strange, even she could see that.

* * *

 **Okay, so the FIRST part of this story was PLOT-BUILDING. The SECOND was RELATIONSHIP DEVELOPMENT with Ayano and Amao, although now that I think about it, I don't think that was completely necessary given this pair's popularity. And the THIRD was the INTRODUCTION of the seventh male!rival, Mido Rana. Not much there though :/ I don't think I managed to portray his character that well, but I'll be sure to do a LOT better at the morning after ;) It's definitely not gonna be next chapter though, we still have three rivals after all.**

 **We also have some more OsanoXAyano squeezed in there, and as Ravencalw4life (HEY! Fellow Ravenclaw here! ;) ) pointed out, it's not focusing much on the other rivals which I completely agree on. I have plans on the other rivals' interactions with her though so don't worry and please bear with me for a little longer :3 next chapter will have some OkoXAyano moments so look forward to that~!**

 **Admittedly, it's gonna be hard to balance 10 different guys, like making sure to be fair and giving them equal opportunities considering some are a lot easier to write than others... This is challenging. But hey! That's actually one of the reasons why I decided to write this fic! It's interesting and it gives me a challenge! So I'll keep doing my best and so please keep supporting me and giving me criticisms because that would really help in writing this!**

 **I also want to get this out there, but probably one of the reasons why I hadn't squeezed in Osoro in this chapter and also why it took so long to update is because I have no idea how to write the journey of him falling for Ayano. BUT HAVE NO FEAR, I HAVE A PLAN! So look forward to it~! And this is also a heads up to not get your hopes up with Osoro because he's really popular and yet I have no idea how to go about writing him.**

 **I'LL DO MY BEST! QAQ**

 **P.S. I just thought of this while writing the A/N but... would you guys be okay with Ayano maybe flirting back at Mido Rana so she could, I don't know, have more advantages in school? She already has some control over the nurse and his office (or at least some access and influence over it) after all, so she COULD add a teacher in with her list of possible people to manipulate to do her bidding? What do you guys think? ;) Idk yet, just wanna get your opinions~**

 **Thank you for waiting~!**

 **Please review ~ !**

 **~ RnR ~ !**

 **~ RnR ~ !**


	5. Chapter 5

**I was fucking determined to get this chapter out before I went to bed. It's 12:30, so I think I did pretty good :) Especially with 6,741 words, not bad. Was too lazy to proofread though so sorry for any possible mistakes .**

 **This was actually a lot longer than I anticipated. So yeah... You're welcome I guess?**

 **It should've been done yesterday... But then I went out, it was last minute and I didn't want to turn down my friend. So... oops? :x**

 **Anyway, I hope you enjoy~!**

* * *

Mido Rana loved his job. It was super easy and he could afford to slack off every once in a while. Also, he got to enjoy the feeling of having dozens of eyes all focused on him along with even several high school girls practically drooling at his presence.

Yes, Mido wouldn't trade his job for the world.

But even more than having young women swoon over him, he also enjoyed a challenge every once in a while. I mean, it's nice to be the heartthrob but it gets boring fairly quickly.

And the moment he laid eyes on the young girl- Ayano Aishi, whose eyes looked bored and spoke with a tone holding such apathy that was so unlike her female classmates' whom looked at him with great admiration- he knew that he found himself a challenge. It's been a while since someone was unaffected by his charms.

It was mainly curiosity that made him lure the girl out so they could be alone, even for just a short while.

It seems like she was a smart and diligent girl, the typical serious student. But mainly she just seemed bored with the world around her, she struck him as the type who could do anything she sets her mind to but chooses not to do anything due to lack of interest.

(Little did he know that he pretty much hit the nail on that one)

Throughout their conversation, she kept a blank face, only the slight shifts in her tone indicated emotions and even then she still managed to sound bored. This only made his curiosity grow, he wondered what it would take to gauge a reaction from her.

And so he took a risk, once they reached the faculty he leaned forward (after making sure no one was around to see, of course) and whispered in a seductive tone "I look forward to our little chat tomorrow then."

The expression she had on her face during that moment got him hooked. He couldn't wait to prompt even more cute reactions from her~.

* * *

"A-ah, g-good morning… Aishi-san."

Ayano hadn't realized she was spacing out until someone got close to her without her notice. Mentally scolding herself for being careless, she turned to the source of the greeting.

"Ruto-kun, good morning." She nodded. "Class should be starting right now, what are you doing here?"

They were currently at the first floor where there were no class rooms, just the clinic, faculty and club rooms.

"I forgot my book at the club room…" he muttered.

"I see." She said. "Well then, we should head back."

"Ah... yeah." he nodded, following right behind her. His behavior made her want to sigh, he was too timid.

"So how has your club been doing, Ruto-kun?"

"Ah… It's been alright…" he said. "We're still trying to summon a demon… No results though."

"I see." She hummed. "Perhaps you should look for other methods, it's certainly not productive to keep on using the same, exact method every time and hoping for a different result.

"… Ah, I suppose you're right."

"My mother had also been a student at this school, and she was also a member of the Occult Club. I think she still has some old books lying around in our home, if I find any I can give it to you. I'm sure she won't mind."

"E-eh? … Is that… Is that really okay?"

"Of course." She nodded. "I don't think there are much books left by your senpais from the Occult Club…"

"No…" he shook his head. "They… they wanted to bring the books with them to serve as a memento of their time in this school… No one was against it at the time…"

"I see. Well then, hopefully I'll be able to find something."

"… Thank you, Aishi-san."

"It's nothing."

They were silent for a moment, and Ayano pondered for a moment before making a decision.

"Ruto-kun?" she stopped at the top of the stairs to give them some more time to talk.

"Y-yes?"

"I hope you don't mind me asking, but may I ask for your phone number?"

"E-e-eh?" he asked, his face turning red; a completely expected reaction. Truthfully, Ayano wasn't even sure if Oko Ruto was worth the effort. But he seemed to be a fast learner, she caught a few glimpses of him yesterday writing furiously down on a notebook. And when he wasn't looking, she managed to take a peak. It was the entirety of the Basu sisters' schedule and the level of detail in them was actually very impressive. It looks like he has some talent after all, he just needed some guidance and a little push.

It would be a waste if he couldn't properly hone his talents, and Ayano was sure that a little intervention every once in a while would be able to do that. He'd be an expert at stalking (which wasn't weird, it's purely for professional and educational purposes) in no time. And considering his personality, he was fairly easy to manipulate. She could easily make him one of her pawns.

Ayano felt giddy and she had to hold herself back from smirking. Oh, how fun it was to obtain so many tools that would be available anytime for her use!

"I'm a bit interested in the Occult Club's activities…" that's not enough is it? She needed something more to convince him. She mentally sighed and decided to go with the assumption that he was the sentimental type. "And also… I enjoy talking to you, Ruto-kun, I find our conversations to be quite nice, don't you?"

"… Yes… I do, actually." He whispered solemnly. Although Ayano found it weird, she decided to ignore it.

"Well then, if you wouldn't mind." She took in a deep breath, not really sure if this is how she should go about it but deciding to take the risk anyway. "Won't you be my friend, Ruto-kun?"

Oko seemed to blush harder but nodded. "I would like that, Aishi-san."

"Please, call me Ayano." She said, taking a page out of Amao's book. "May I call you 'Oko-kun'?"

"I-I would like that." He said. "I-I mean… not in a weird way! I just… you… you seem like a nice person… Ayano-san."

"I understand, Oko-kun." She nodded.

"Um… Ayano-san, if you don't mind me asking…"

"Yes?"

"Are you… in a club right now?"

"Yes, the Gaming Club."

"… That Gaming Club...?" he raised an eyebrow. "If… If you don't mind me asking, why did you choose to join that, of all clubs?"

"I'm not entirely sure, to be honest. But they seemed interesting."

"… I see. I suppose I can understand that." He nodded, once again displaying the rather strange reputation that the Gaming Club had.

Ayano could've left it at that, but no. She planned on keeping Oko close in the future, he might prove to actually be very useful. And to do that, she's going to have to earn his trust. Something he's only given to his fellow club members, but only because no one else paid much attention to him. Luckily, she's been studying up in psychology.

Oko is by all means mentally vulnerable, an easy prey. He's naïve and timid, so getting his trust is fairly easy even without joining the Occult Club. Simply show him some vulnerabilities, open up to him about problems and show him some trust and he will learn to trust you back.

"Yes, but honestly I don't plan on staying there for long."

"You don't?" he asked a little too eagerly but Ayano didn't think too much about it.

"No, I don't. I plan on leaving and joining another club, but I haven't decided on which. Honestly, it's a bit of a difficult choice. I want to be able to try new things, but at the same time wouldn't it be better to simply improve the skills that I have?"

"Yes… I suppose it is a difficult choice if you think about it like that…" he muttered. "… You're very smart, Ayano-chan."

… Not the reaction she expected but okay. "I suppose."

"You think about things with such a level-head. You're always calm and you seem to know what to do." He said before smiling at her sincerely. "I'm sure whatever decision you make; it would be the right one."

… Wow, she inwardly smirked, that went better than expected. She's already got his admiration, this conversation went a lot better than she expected.

"… I don't mind giving you my number, but may I also have yours?"

"Ah, of course." She nodded, handing him her phone and taking his. After that brief exchange and a moment's decision, she asked "Would you also mind if I join you in some of your club activities sometimes? I'm aware that I'm not a club member but it seems very interesting."

This seemed to genuinely surprise him. "Club activities…? Well, we usually just attempt to summon a demon but as I said before, we usually yield no results."

"Yes, but I'd like to watch anyway."

"Oko seemed very hesitant. "Are you… really interested… in watching our ritual?"

"Although it may seem strange; yes. I would really like to, if you would allow me to."

"I… don't mind."

"Wonderful." She made an attempt on the most natural and cheerful smile she could manage, although it still felt a bit awkward. "Well then, we better head back to our class."

"Yes…" he nodded. "Ayano-san… do you have any friends?"

The sudden question made her blink in confusion and she actually had to pause to think about it before she could answer. "I have a… childhood friend but we don't… hang out really. Other than that, I just recently got close to a few other people. One of them is Osano Najimi-kun, from my class."

"… Oh." He said in a strange tone. "Are you two… close?"

She paused again. "I'm not particularly close with anyone. I'm much of a loner, you see."

"Ah…" he nodded and would've left it at that until he remembered a certain group chat that occurred just this morning. "I don't think it would be safe to go around school alone, though… You know with everything that's been going around."

"Ah, you don't need to worry about me, Oko-kun. I was actually a part of the martial arts club last year, so I'm capable of taking care of myself."

"I see…" Oko nodded. "But still, I can't help but feel a little bit concerned… It feels like something big might happen soon."

That made her stop in her tracks. "Why do you say that, Oko-kun?"

"Well… there was this announcement that the Student Council president made earlier to all club leaders, it's about the assembly that will be held later today…"

"Oh?" she raised an eyebrow, Amao mentioned that earlier.

"Apparently, the school administration wants to discuss about the recent incident that involved Musume Ronshaku…"

… Amao didn't tell her about that, Ayano frowned. "What about it."

"I'm… not entirely sure… But do you know about that infamous student, Info-kun?"

If Ayano wasn't someone who had complete control over her emotions, then she would've flinched or at least tensed up. "Yes, I do. I believe everyone's heard of him."

"Well… he said some… concerning things this morning."

"…Really?"

Oko said nothing and simply took his phone out, tapped on it a few times before handing it over to Ayano who took it and read the conversation that occurred earlier that morning.

"I don't think I'm supposed to tell anyone about this but… I think I can trust you to keep quiet about it." He said after she finished reading, to which Ayano nodded.

"Of course."

"So… well, be careful, I suppose."

"I will." Ayano smiled once again. "Be sure to be careful as well, Oko-kun."

Oko nodded, although she couldn't quite help but notice how he tensed a bit.

Soon enough, Ayano was back in her classroom and she waved goodbye to Oko.

"What took you so long?" Osono asked once she was back on her seat.

"I came across… a friend and we talked for a bit." She said.

"Oh." He said, sounding almost relieved. "Well, Surepo-san made an announcement while you were gone. Apparently there's gonna be an assembly after lunch."

Kura Surepo was their class representative, she had good grades and was an overall teacher's pet (even moreso than her) but there's nothing particularly outstanding about her. So Ayano didn't see the need to befriend her, one acquaintance in a single class was more than enough.

"Oh?" she tried to sound interested despite knowing everything about it. "What about?"

"Well, they say there's going to be a change in faculty or something like that. I think they're gonna put up some new rules too, or that's what they're saying at least."

… She didn't read anything about that in the club leaders' group chat…

But that doesn't technically mean that the information she received from Oko was wrong, especially since it came from the student council president himself.

Ayano was starting to see the advantages in having many sources, she could already tell how the assembly was going to go.

"By the way, what was with that teacher?" Osano scoffed.

"He was quite strange." Ayano nodded in agreement. It was nice to know that it wasn't only her paranoia that made her suspicious of her teacher.

"He was really weird! I can't believe a guy like that was actually hired! And I think he kept on looking at you during the whole class too." He almost _growled_. "Like what the hell was that about? What a creep…"

He noticed that? He continues to surprise her.

"Watching me?" she asked, testing.

"Yeah! Well, at first I thought he was looking at me, but later on it became pretty obvious that he was looking behind me instead of right _at_ me. I wasn't gonna say anything because I thought I was just imagining things but then he called you out to 'help' him." He scoffed. "As if he picked out a name by random. You better stay away from that guy as much as you can. Hopefully he won't be here long."

It goes without saying that Ayano was impressed. Their conversation would've also continued on had their science teacher not entered the room and immediately started the class.

It was a relatively boring day in class after meeting their substitute teacher so time passed by fast and Ayano was almost surprised to hear the bell ring, signaling lunch time.

"Let's go." Osano grabbed his bag and Ayano followed suit. She couldn't help but notice that he was still a little red though, but at least not as much as yesterday. So was he really sick then? She didn't know if she should be concerned or confused.

"I hope it doesn't rain today…" Osano muttered, most likely not intending for her to hear but she did anyway.

"I doubt it." She answered, ignoring his flinch. "But even if it did, we can always eat somewhere else. Like the Cooking Club for example."

Osano frowned. "You look like your really interested in the cooking club. Do you plan on joining them?"

"… Not really. But the Club leader, Amao-senpai is very nice."

Another flinch. "Amao-senpai?"

"Yes, he's been very kind to me." She nodded. "Do you two know each other, Osano-kun?"

"Well… not personally." He muttered. "So you two get along?"

"Yes. Actually, we had breakfast together this morning. He baked pancakes."

"Wh- Y-you shouldn't trouble Amao-senpai like that, you know!" he scowled. "I mean, it's not like I care but since when were you two so close?!"

"Just yesterday, actually. When I was looking through all the clubs." She said. "Amao-senpai doesn't seem to mind, he actually enjoys the company and he enjoys cooking as well. I heard he goes around giving food away to students during lunch every once in a while as well."

Osano grumbled. "Well, people automatically like someone when they give the free food, it's stupid. Other than his food, there's nothing special about him."

"You think so?"

He grumbled and looked like he wanted to say something else but got cut off.

"Osano-kun!"

They both turned around to see Taeko Yamada running towards them.

"Taeko?" he frowned, noticing how disheveled she looked. "What happened?"

"I-it's Hanako! I can't find him anywhere!"

"Hah? If he isn't in his room then he probably just went to the bathroom, right?"

"I thought so too! But I went to his class and apparently the teacher for their class before lunch told them to do some self-studying since she was going to help with the assemble. But a lot of people in their class took it as a chance to have an early lunch break and it looks like Hanako was one of them." She explained, looking absolutely distressed. "I tried to call him but it looks like he left his phone at home!"

"So you can't find him?" he frowned, to which she nodded. "Well, it's a big school. He probably got lost."

He tried to sound nonchalant about it, but Ayano could tell by the tenseness of his shoulders and the slight frown on his features that he was worried.

"O-Osano-kun, you need to help me find him! I'm really worried since he might be alone and…" she trailed off, paling. "… What if... something happens to him..?"

"Hey! Don't say that!" Osano hissed, although he seemed to pale a bit as well. "Look, he's probably… he probably made some friends and decided to hang out with them! Y-yeah, that's it! So don't go running your imagination!"

"B-but... the last incident was just earlier this week..." she muttered.

"Idiot! Stop thinking about stuff like that and calm down!" he hissed, despite the fact that he looked like he was halfway through panicking as well.

Meanwhile, Ayano stayed silent. Being the person responsible for the disappearances and ultimate deaths of students for the past year, it was very interesting to see the psychological effect it had on people.

She also knew that Taeko Yamada's little brother, Hanako Yamada was supposed to transfer that day and she'd be lying if she said she didn't find it interesting how someone was actually still willing to transfer to their school. Especially considering they had a relative that was fully aware of what occurs within the school's walls.

"If you're so worried then you should inform a teacher." Ayano said, not really wanting to deal with Taeko's fragile emotional state at the moment. She wasn't good with such things. "Osano-kun, I think it would be better if you accompanied Yamada-senpai. I'll go search around."

"E-eh? B-but isn't that dangerous, Aishi-san?" Taeko asked in concern. "I mean, I think it would be better if we stick together."

"You don't have to worry too much, Yamada-senpai." Because she wasn't going to go killing anyone, at least not today. "The student council has heightened the school's security, and faculty members are regularly patrolling around the school as well. I'm sure it's safe to wander the school, especially at this point during the day."

"I-I guess…" she muttered and Osano put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Will you be okay?" Osano asked Ayano. Although he really didn't want to leave her all alone, he knew that it would be a lot more efficient to split up and Taeko was definitely not in a state to be left alone.

"I'll be fine. I'll call you if I find him." She said before walking away, and the two childhood friends immediately headed for the faculty room.

* * *

Ayano had no intention of helping to look for Taeko Yamada's younger brother. It was a waste of effort anyway since the only reason they were worried is because they thought something was going to happen to the kid. But obviously nothing was. The kid probably just dozed off at the rooftop or something, and Ayano has more important things to do with her time than to be part of some unnecessary search party.

She went to the back of the school, took out her phone and dialed.

" _Yes_?"

"So I inspired you to be more sociable?" she scoffed.

There was a pause.

" _Wow, I'm actually impressed_." She could tell he was smirking. " _Did Amao Odayaka tell you this_?"

"No. He didn't tell me anything." She scowled.

" _Oh? Then who_ …?"

"That doesn't concern you."

" _Well, whatever. I'll find out eventually_."

"I doubt it." Now it was her turn to smirk.

" _Oh~? Getting cocky now, are we? Well, I'll be sure to put you in your place eventually_."

She scoffed. "So then? Are you serious about what you said to them?"

" _Hm_?"

"Do they really have a suspect?" she clarified.

" _With that, I'm going to assume that you've read our entire correspondence_."

"It's a fair assumption."

" _You've always been a fast learner. I suppose I should've expected that you'd do so well in my field_." He chuckled. " _I still can't be sure what's going to take place at the assembly, but I do know that the school's administration is approaching this differently, and definitely a lot more seriously_."

"How so?"

" _Well, they've gotten outside help_." He said. " _I'm sure you know of the Saikou company_?"

"… Yes." She nodded, recognizing the severity of the situation. "So you're saying that the school's administration is leaving this all for the student council to deal with?"

" _I doubt they were willing, but considering how nothing they've done for an entire year has worked so far, they're probably out of options_."

Ayano snorted. "So they're leaving the kids to handle it? How pathetic."

" _Don't be too quick to judge now, Yan-chan. I think you're overlooking how big of an issue this'll be for us_." His tone shifted from teasing to serious. " _This school's student council president is certainly troublesome, and the only reason why we managed to evade him is because he's bound by the school's rules and the principal's decisions. But now that he has free reign_ …"

Ayano was silent, contemplating their situation.

Megamo Saikou, the heir to Saikou Corp. which was the most powerful business conglomerate in Japan. He's been trained to possess all the qualities of a perfect leader, is the most popular boy in school and also the student council president. He has great connections both inside and outside the school, and that isn't even taking for account his father who would most definitely be willing to back him up.

"… Do you want me to kill him?"

" _Don't get carried away. You may have Martial Arts training, but Megamo Saikou has also been taught self-defence since he was young. I doubt that even you would be able to take him down so easily_." He sighed. " _In any case, there's no way that we'll be able to get away with killing someone with such a prominent background_."

"I suppose…" she muttered. Ayano was also sure that her mother wouldn't be happy with her doing such a reckless thing.

" _For now, I suppose we should just lay low. So unfortunately, no job offers any time soon_."

Ayano sighed. "I understand."

" _Well, I'm sure you'll be busy growing your little network of connections to be able to get any work done anyway_." He went back to his teasing tone. " _So how's your club-hunt doing_?"

"… I'm still thinking about it." She grumbled.

" _If you want, the Info club will be happy to have you_."

"That's so funny I forgot to laugh." She scowled. "Just call me if you have anything valuable to say."

" _Ah, speaking of that, why do you want me to look into Amao Odayaka anyway_?"

"… Just a strange feeling."

" _It could just be your imagination, you've always been paranoid_."

"Just do it. I don't want to take any chances." She said. "Also, while you're at it, do you know anything about the new faculty members?"

" _Oh? Mujo Kina and Mido Rana? What about them_?"

"They just seem suspicious, don't you think so too?"

" _Well… yes, they did come to school at the same day so I would say so. I also don't believe the garbage that the faculty is saying about how the last teacher retired in such short notice_." He snorted. " _Now that I think about it, Mido Rana should be substituting as your homeroom teacher, correct? How is he_?"

"Suspicious."

" _An expected answer from you_." He chuckled. " _Well, you just leave it to me then. I'll call you if I find something interesting_."

"Okay."

" _Try not to get into trouble, Yan-chan~_."

 _Click._

God, he was annoying. Ayano sighed and decided to go for a walk; it was a nice day although she was starting to see some clouds beginning to form. It might rain soon. But still, since summer just ended, it's rare to have such a nice, cool day. It's so relaxing…

…

But of course, her luck is always so terrible.

"What are you looking at?!"

"I-I'm sorry… I just-"

"Get out of here, kid!"

"B-b-but!"

"Hah?! You wanna pick a fight?!"

It looks like the delinquents were ganging up on a student, and not just any student. She recognized the small, petite boy as Taeko Yamada's younger brother, Hanako Yamada. He was surrounded by the guys while the girls were silently watching them, by the wall near the incinerator.

… Should she walk away? It looks like they haven't noticed her presence yet.

"Th-th-that!" the young boy cried out, pointing at a book. It was by the girls' feet and all eyes immediately turned to it. "Th-that's m-mine!"

"Hah?" One of them picked it up surveyed it.

"P-p-please give it b-back!"

"What? You ordering us around, brat?!"

"N-no! Just- just please give it back!"

"How about you just scram?!"

"Or you could just give the book back to him and you can all go your separate ways." All heads turned to the new voice.

Ayano inwardly sighed. Having to deal with such trivial things was so troublesome, but she supposed it could help up her reputation. Plus, it wouldn't feel right to tell Osano and her senpai that she would help them look and end up empty-handed. She wasn't one to fail, after all.

"Huh? You?! What the hell do you want?"

"Give the book back and let him go." She said, crossing her arms.

"Heh, getting cocky aren't ya?" one of the girls went up to her. "What if we don't wanna? Watcha gonna do about it?"

Ayano sighed. "Picking on the weak? Honestly, I knew you lot were troublemakers, but I didn't think that you were so pathetic."

"Hah?!" she was immediately grabbed by the collar. "What the hell did ya say? How about you try that one more time."

Ayano knew that she could take these delinquents down, it won't be easy and she won't walk away unscratched, but she technically could. The problem was with the weak, cowardly boy she was attempting to save. With a liability like him, her chances aren't looking too bright. Plus, if word got around that she got into a fight with the delinquents, then her reputation would crash which would defeat the purpose of stepping in.

Ah, how troublesome.

"What the hell is going on here?" all the delinquents tensed up and Ayano looked up.

Osoro Shidesu, she recalled overhearing about the end of his suspension yesterday. Well now that he's here, violence is definitely out of the question.

"B-Boss!" the girl holding her by the collar spluttered out and Ayano took this chance to slap her hand off of her. She quickly picked up the book that Hanako was stressing out over and handed it to him. During the few seconds it took her to do this, all eyes went to her.

"Th-this girl was insulting us!"

"She wants to pick a fight!"

"The nerve of her!"

"Boss, leave her to us!"

Ayano scoffed as she straightened out her uniform. "Pathetic weaklings really have no other choice but to gang up on other, weaker opponents."

She spoke absently, and when she finally realized that she said it out loud, it was too late. Hanako, who she was facing, looked as pale as a sheet and the delinquents were quite, presumably from shock.

"Hey, you." That deep, cold, dangerous voice almost made Ayano flinch. "You got something you wanna say? Then say it to my face."

Well, this was bad. Ayano knew she was treading on thin ice, so she had to choose her words carefully. She took a deep breath before turning to face the leader of the delinquents and the strongest student in their school.

"I'm sorry, we don't want any trouble. We'll just leave."

"Hey! You think you can just walk away after running your mouth like that?!" one of Osoro's minions cried out, followed by words of agreement by the other side characters. Osoro, on the other hand, was glaring at Ayano, who wasn't at all fazed by it. But she did acknowledge that if they all attacked her and Hanako at that moment, they would be screwed. Running wasn't an option either, since they were completely surrounded on all sides, if Info-kun learned about this then he would never let her live it down.

Meanwhile, Hanako reached out and grabbed her arm with a trembling hand but neither her apathetic expression nor her straight posture wavered.

"He's new here." She said. "He shouldn't be wandering the school campus alone and the teachers are already looking everywhere for him."

Or at least, they should be. Ayano couldn't exactly be sure, but they didn't know that. She felt Hanako flinch and saw a few of the other delinquents do so as well.

"We're heading back right now; if you're going to try and stop us then I'm sure the teachers won't be happy with you." She said the silent threat strong enough for everyone to comprehend. "We won't waste any more of your time, so if you don't mind, we'll leave."

Osoro continued to stare her down, his expression not changing. Ayano, on the other hand, maintained eye contact with the same amount of intensity.

"Tch, girls like you really get on my nerves." He scowled before jerking his head to the side. "Get lost."

The moment he said this, Ayano immediately grabbed Hanako's hand and briskly walked away from there.

"Th-the nerve of that bitch!"

"The next time I see her, I'm gonna crack her skull!"

"Damn freak!"

Osoro stayed silent, watching them walk away before taking a turn and disappearing from his sight. He was pissed; no one threatened him and got away with it. But at the same time…

It's been a while since he met someone who wasn't afraid of him. And that girl definitely wasn't, she actually stood up to him. That was definitely new.

"Boss, the next time we see him, just leave her to us!"

"Don't do anything rash, dumbasses." He scoffed. "Besides, do you really think she's stupid enough to come back here after that stunt she pulled?"

"Well, yeah…"

"But still!"

"Well, she'll probably be back, you know."

"Yeah, probably. She's always passing by here."

"Oh, right. She's that clean freak, right?"

"The one who's always coming here with trash and burning it."

Osoro raised an eyebrow at the strange behavior but didn't say anything and let his minions talk among themselves without commenting any further.

* * *

"Are you okay?" Ayano asked when they finally got away. Even she couldn't help but feel a little relieved; it felt like they dodged a bullet.

"Y-yes! Th-thank you very much!" Hanako said, taking a deep bow. "I wouldn't have known what to do if you hadn't arrived."

"It's fine." She waved it off before pulling out her phone and dialing Osano's number.

" _Hello_?"

"I found him." She said while staring at the boy in front of her. Said boy blushed in embarrassment before looking away.

" _Really?! Is he alright_?"

"Yeah."

" _Wait! Hold on, where are you two_?"

"Outside, near the-"

" _Aishi-san?! Aishi-san, is Hanako really there?! Is my brother alright_?" Taeko's voice rang out and Ayano assumed that her senpai snatched the phone from her classmate. Not wanting to deal with the barrage of questions, she handed the phone to Hanako who took it with an ounce of hesitation.

"Hello…?" he spoke before lighting up. "Nee-san! Ah, yes! I'm fine. Sorry, I wanted to explore the school…"

Ayano patiently waited for the conversation to finish while she looked around and took in the sight of the school. It was still absolutely stunning no matter how many times she looks at it. And the view just relaxes her, it would be better if she was on the rooftop though.

She glanced at Hanako who was cheerfully talking to his sister. He looked so feminine and innocent for a boy his age. She expected a troublemaking brat but he actually seemed like a decent kid. Naïve and probably obedient too, maybe she would try to use him too. She doesn't know any freshmen anyway, and he's already indebted to her so it should be easy.

Meh, why not?

"Um… Ai-Aishi-san?" she snapped out of her thoughts.

"Yes?"

"Thank you." He handed her phone back. She nodded and noticed that he ended the call. "Nee-san said that we should wait for them at the auditorium… since we're supposed to be there anyway."

"Okay." She said before heading there with Hanako in tow.

"Ah… Aishi-san, I would just- I really want to thank you for what you did earlier!" he said. "That… that was really amazing!"

"Not really." She said. "I think we just got lucky."

"A-ah… really?" he grimaced. "But still… you were so calm! I was really surprised when you managed to stand up to them even though they were really scary!"

"Their leader just got back from being suspended, so I assumed that he didn't want to get into trouble as soon as he got back. Worst case scenario, he could get expelled."

"I-I see!" he nodded in understanding, as if she said something profound and he just figured out the answer to all life's questions.

"But like I said, we got lucky." She emphasized. "It would be best if you stay away from them as much as you can."

"Ah, of course!"

"In any case, you should've just ran back then when they gave you the chance. Just so you know, those bunch aren't the type to give empty threats." She sighed.

"B-but… they had my book."

"You should've just left it." She said. Does this kid have no sense of self-preservation?

"Y-you don't understand!" he blurted out. "This is a gift from my sister! It's really important to me!"

Ayano raised an eyebrow, but stayed silent which Hanako took as his cue to keep talking.

"I want to be a doctor when I grow up, and my sister knew this so she spent a big chunk of her savings to get me this biology textbook for my birthday! I-it's…" he started muttering. "For me, this isn't just some book. It's like a representation of my dreams and my sister's faith in me.

Ayano paused, staring at the younger boy with slight surprise.

"… I see."

No, she didn't; she didn't see. It was completely stupid. Why would you risk your well-being for a book? With how worried his sister was for him, she was sure that her senpai definitely wouldn't care if the book was lost forever. What was this boy blabbering about?

… Was this how most people think? Was this how their sense of logic operated? It kind of scared Ayano and she was thankful that she wasn't like that. A deep part of her envied them though, because she would bet that they don't feel empty inside. This boy may be stupid, but he has the ability to experience true happiness.

Maybe that was the price; in order to feel alive, you had to let your emotions reign over you. Ayano could never see herself doing that though.

"You must really love your sister." she ruffled his head, wishing she knew what that felt like. She didn't have any siblings after all, and her parents were too distant for her to be able to form any kind of bond with them.

Hanako blushed. "I… I do."

"… Well, I suppose it's all in the past now." She sighed, contemplating whether or not this boy was actually worth her time.

Well, she might as well finish what she started.

"Try to be more careful next time." She wouldn't want to have to go around saving him all the time. She was no hero, after all. "And if you ever need any help, I'll always be willing to give you a hand."

Here's to hoping she doesn't regret this in the future.

Hanako, for some reason, seemed to stare at her in shock for a few seconds before snapping out of it. "Y-yes! Thank you very much!"

Ayano nodded and, ignoring the slight blush on his face, set towards the auditorium while slightly wondering if there was a flu going around. Or it could just be the adrenaline from earlier, who knows?

The moment they stepped into the auditorium, Hanako was immediately engulfed into a tight hug by his sister who at the same time scolded him and complained about how worried she was while the boy muttered apologies.

"Ah, thanks for finding Hanako and bringing him here." Osano said, sighing. "Seriously, we couldn't find that brat anywhere. I thought Taeko was gonna faint from the stress…"

"It's no problem."

"But well, it looks like there's not much time to eat." Osano muttered. "If we head to the cherry blossom tree right now, we won't make it back in time for the assembly."

"It's fine, we can go tomorrow instead." She shrugged, taking out her bento. "We should probably eat now while we can though."

Osano snorted, trying to hide his disappointment. "Yeah, probably."

They went to look for nice seats, leaving the two siblings to bicker playfully. They were the first ones there so they were free to choose wherever they want to sit. While choosing seats, they chatted which mainly consisted of Osano complaining about one thing or the other while Ayano gave her apathetic comments here and there.

Unknown to them is the pair of gray eyes following them, watching them interact good-naturedly. Hanako, who was starting to ignore his sister (which was completely unheard of), couldn't help but frown.

* * *

 **Hey~! I totally didn't intend for Oko's part to be that long OMG. But hopefully, you Oko fans appreciated that~! I was inspired by the art** _Koumi-senpai_ **posted recently(he's the guy who drew the art for the April Fool's vid if you don't follow him yet on tumblr you should), it's like Oko X Ayano X Male!Basu Sisters and I was just so inspired to write him! I also hope I didn't disappoint the Osoro fans . I hope you liked this chappie!**

 **I didn't know how else to introduce Osoro, I mean Ayano obviously wouldn't just walk up to him and ask about the delinquents as if they're some type of club. That's just ridiculous, y'know? So I settled for this, two birds with one stone!**

 **So let's see, we have sly Mido, shy Oko, jealous Osano, a little screentime for Taeko, plot building and a concerned Info-kun, Osoro introduction, Hanako introduction, Hanako falling in love with Ayano (more in-depth explanation for that in future chapters) and then Hanako slightly jealous. I hope that was plenty for you and I hope I have redeemed myself from that uncalled for hiatus. OTL**

 **So yeah, Megamo's last, and it goes without saying that he'll be introduced in the next chapter~! I still have a lot of plans for this fic so I hope you continue to support me! Also, if you have prompts, like little scenes you wanna see in the story, I'm open to suggestions. Since I want to make sure everyone gets enough love. (I am aware that there are certain characters who aren't getting much love *co-Kizano-ugh* I am working on that) I'm gonna need a little guidance here. Fair warning, I might just go crazy fangirl with this fic and hell, make a few guys go yandere. (Some *co-most-ugh* of you probably won't mind though).**

 **Also, for those wondering why Hanako wants to be a doctor, I was writing this and was picturing Hanako in my head and I was like... Hey, doesn't Hanako have a butterfly hairpin? So she's into butterflies. And so I was going to make him an Entomologist but then I looked her up and realized it was a heart. And to be honest, when I saw her picture I didn't even realize it was a heart hairpin. I thought it was like an apple so I change it to Agriculturist. And then, I realized it was a heart. And at first, I wasn't going to change it. I thought, hey his sister's in the gardening club it makes sense for them to have similar hobbies. Let's go with that. BUT THEN I KID YOU NOT, as I was writing this A/N I thought... wait, heart? Like the human heart, maybe he could dream of being a doctor instead? And at first, I thought no. It doesn't really matter, this is just me bullshitting and finding a reason for this boy to fall in love with this psychopath. His dreams don't matter.**

 **But then I thought. Hey, if he wants to be a doctor, then he'll have more knowledge about biology than an ordinary student. And that may contribute to the plot... *smirk***

 **DOCTOR IT IS!**

 **I am legit just bullshitting my way through this story, but it doesn't matter because my fangirl heart will lead the way so there's nothing to worry about ^_^**

 **Well then, that's all~! Hope you enjoyed this chapter and tell me what you think! I'll probably update this around saturday, next week. So look forward to that ~ !**

 **Please review ~ !**

 **~ RnR ~ !**

 **~ RnR ~ !**


	6. Chapter 6

**8,062 words~ I overdid myself with this one ^_^;; but to be honest, it was both challenging and fun to write. Truthfully, I was going to post this on monday, but I thought... no, quality first! Make this chapter worth it, because you have no idea when you'll be posting next!**

 **So yeah, I even proodread it. So I'm hoping it turned out alright.**

 **Hope you enjoy~!**

* * *

"Ah, I don't think I've introduced myself yet." Hanako said, flustered. "My name is Hanako Yamada of class 1-2, it's nice to meet you."

"Ayano Aishi, class 2-1." Ayano said, taking a bite of her bento and not really paying much interest to him.

"I would like to apologize again for the trouble I caused you…"

"It's fine."

"It's not fine, Aishi-san. I heard you two were confronted by the delinquents!" Taeko almost cried out in worry. "Please forgive me, I shouldn't have let you go alone!"

"Hah?! What happened?" Osano blurted out, shocked since Ayano didn't say anything about that.

"It was nothing really; we got lucky and managed to get away."

"Really?" Taeko sighed. "It's great that the two of you didn't get hurt… I didn't think that those guys were the type to let anyone off easy."

"What were you doing around those delinquents anyway?" Osano snapped at Hanako.

"I-I was looking around the school when I bumped into them…" he stuttered.

"It doesn't matter anymore." Taeko waved it off. "Just try not to go near them anymore, okay? They usually just hang around the incinerator anyway so if you steer clear from there then you should be fine."

"We're lucky that their leader wasn't there, or else something might've seriously happened to you two." Osano sighed.

"Leader..?" Hanako tilted his head to the side in confusion.

"Osoro Shidesu, the leader of the delinquents." Ayano explained. "He was the blond with long hair."

"Ah, the one those guys were calling 'Boss'?"

"Yes."

Osano and Taeko looked at the two, blinking in confusion before realization struck them.

"Wait- Osoro Shidesu was there?!" he cried out. "What the hell? Are you two okay?!"

"Yes, we're perfectly fine." Ayano nodded as she started to put away her bento box and glanced at Osano's. He better finish up soon, more people are starting to arrive.

"Wha-How?! I thought he was suspended!"

"Yes, he was. His suspension ended today."

"You mean that guy was there?! And he just let you off the hook?!" Osano asked, gripping Ayano's shoulders. They seem to be overreacting a bit but she could understand their concern, worst case scenario would've been them ending up at ICU.

"Well, even he wouldn't want to get in trouble on his first day back."

Osano scowled, turning to Hanako. "Seriously? Getting into trouble on your first day?"

"I didn't mean to!"

"Oh gosh… I guess I owe you a lot then, Aishi-san." Taeko bowed. "If you hadn't gone to look for him then who knows what could've happened."

"It's fine."

"What did you do anyway?" Osano asked, curiously.

"Well…"

Ayano gave them the details, and once she was done, Osano scowled.

"Idiot! You should've called a teacher! What do you think would've happened if they attacked you all at once?! At least call us first before jumping in!" he said, sounding genuinely angry. "You should know how dangerous those guys are! What were you thinking, confronting them?!"

"Well, if I hadn't then who knows what would've happened to Hanako-kun."

Osano sighed in frustration. "I get that… But you should've thought it through first! God…"

Ayano didn't really see what the problem was, since everything ended up okay. And Osano seems to be forgetting the fact that she was in the Martial Arts Club. But before she could voice her thoughts, Taeko spoke up.

"I'm really sorry about the trouble we caused you, Aishi-san! That must've been so scary!"

"Not really…"

"Just- !" Osano sighed, ruffling his hair in frustration. "Don't do that again. Okay?"

"… Okay." Ayano nodded, almost blushing a bit because of how intense Osano's eyes were.

She still didn't see what the problem was though, but it's not like she planned on confronting the delinquents again anytime soon. She wasn't stupid.

During their little moment, Taeko was hiding her giggles behind a hand while Hanako frowned while silently watching their interaction.

"You better put your food away, Osano-kun. It looks like its almost starting." Ayano commented.

And true enough, more students started trickling in with teachers going around and making sure that everyone settled down. Ayano peered towards the front and recognized the club leaders who were sitting together. Aso even spotted her; he grinned and waved. She shyly waved back.

Soon enough, Akademi High's headmaster, Kocho Shuyona appeared on stage. He gave his greetings to the students along with some ground rules such as stay quiet, don't litter in the assembly hall, all club leaders and class representatives should sit at the front, etc. He also mentioned about how everyone is to leave school premises at the end of the assembly because the student council and the faculty will be holding a meeting. After that was done with, he started talking about the incidences that occurred in the past year, highlighting the most recent one, Musume Ronshaku. He went on to say how tragic these deaths were and how heartless the culprit is.

It was all boring for Ayano since she already knew most of what he was saying, and it was mainly to ensure the student population that the school administration is doing everything they can to ensure their safety. Not that it meant much since Ayano was able to get through each and every one of their security systems and perform each kill flawlessly.

"We have been working with the police department to catch the culprit, and we will not stop until we've delivered justice." He was trying to sound sincere, but- to Ayano at least- it was obvious that he's pretty much given up and lost all hope.

After reassuring the students, he then went on to explain how the student council will start assisting them in their pursuit for the culprit. His speech was long and boring, but it was basically everything that Info-kun told her earlier. Only with a lot of sugarcoating; reassuring the students of their safety and making it clear that what was happening was an alliance with the student council, because they 'believed that your fellow students will have more insight about the fear you must all be experiencing right now and would be able to provide useful input that would help make you all feel safer'. Which was a load of bull; they gave up and left it to the school's top notcher, Megamo Saikou. Because if someone with his skill and status can't catch the culprit, then it was unlikely that anyone else could.

After the headmaster gave his long and boring speech (really, it was a miracle that Ayano hadn't dozed off, although she could see a great portion of students who looked nervous. Taeko Yamada looked like she was about t faint again) he called for the guidance counselor to deliver her message to the student body.

"Good afternoon everyone, now I'm sure that you're all feeling quite concerned about everything that's happened and I cannot blame you. What's happened and what you all had to go through is tough, some of you have lost your friends while others have seen things that they can never unsee. I understand and it's okay to be afraid, you have the right to be." Her voice was comforting. Genka Kunahito was the guidance counselor and was well-known to be quite strict. But she was definitely good at her job. She might not come across as approachable but she gave genuinely great advice and always knew the right things to say.

She went on to validate the student's fears, saying that they are right to be afraid before telling them that they shouldn't be afraid. It was utter garbage in Ayano's opinion, but all the other students were actually falling for it. Perhaps it was because of how she worded it, saying thing like 'not letting these tragedies hold you back from walking to a brighter future' and 'together, we can go through this'.

What utter nonsense.

But it actually worked and students actually started to look comforted. It made Ayano cringe at their stupidity while at the same time she admired the guidance counselor because damn, that was some next level manipulation skill right there.

So while most of the people there were finding comfort in her words, Ayano was taking mental notes for future references.

"Just know that if you ever need help or at least someone to talk to, my doors are always open. Please stay strong, together we can get through this." She ended her speech and they actually gave her a standing ovation.

She awkwardly stood up and clapped along for the sake of blending in and from the corner of her eye; she could see Osano doing the same. Well, it was nice to know that she wasn't the only one who found the whole speech cheesy.

And last but not least, the president.

Genka Kunahito called on Megamo Saikou who was sitting at the far left on the first row. He stood up and walked up to the podium with such grace and refinement that spoke volumes of how he was born and raised for power.

Ayano had to hold back a snort. She's never met him personally, only heard the rumors. He's often absent because of family reasons and busy with both school and his responsibilities in the student council so she never saw him around. And during the past year, he definitely wasn't a person she wanted to come across.

Deep down inside though, she respected this person. He was smart and talented; he had power, connections and skills that really shouldn't belong to a single person. He was practically the embodiment of perfection.

But more than his money, skills and popularity, there was just one thing that made her hold him at a different standard than all the others.

Megami Saikou was the only person she knew who could actually intimidate Info-kun.

That cunning, arrogant, elusive Info-kun who can single-handedly bring down yakuza gangs without breaking a sweat, the mastermind of over three dozen deaths in Akademi High, the man who manages to hide his own identity from the school he is currently attending can only be fazed by a single man.

Info-kun may be annoying, but she'd be lying if she said that she didn't admire his abilities. So someone he'd deem as a threat is definitely worth her time. It kind of made her giddy; she wanted to see what Megamo Saikou was capable of. Because she didn't even know the extent of Info-kun's abilities, so simply imagining someone who is possibly better than him just seemed so surreal.

However, she wasn't stupid enough to try and provoke him.

"I'm sure you all want to go home already, so I will keep this brief as to not waste any more of your time." He said. "I just want you all to keep in mind everything that headmaster Shuyona and Kunahito-sensei has said today. Rest assured we will do everything in our power to keep every student of Akademi High, we cannot allow this criminal to sully the name of our good school any longer. And as the student council president, I vow to bring this school to new heights!"

His voice was firm and seemed as if it demanded the utmost obedience. He stood tall and proud at that podium with a confident gaze and smooth words that made you want to believe in him as if he was the last shred of hope left in this world of despair. And in a sense, he probably was.

"As such, I would like to ask for your full cooperation for the next few days, maybe weeks so that we can put an end to these tragedies. It may cause some inconveniences for some of you, but I ask for your understanding. Just bear in mind that my top priority is to put a stop to anyone who poses a threat to this school. So whatever choices that will be made in the future, will be made with the students' well-being in mind."

Everyone was hooked to his every word which seemed to give bursts of inspiration and hope to their very soul. And as such, no one noticed Ayano bring a hand up to her face to try and hide a smirk.

Maybe things will finally stop being boring around here.

His speech was very brief compared to the headmaster and the guidance counselor, but despite that he also earned himself a standing ovation.

All in all, the assembly was a huge waste of time, for Ayano at least, although she could see why they decided to do it. The school's atmosphere has been very tense lately and morale was at an all-time low. They had to do something about that so they pulled this little stunt and it worked like a charm. It often impressed Ayano how simple creatures human beings were.

Osano yawned as they made their way out of the school. "It's finally over…"

"It looks like a lot of scary things have been happening." Hanako commented, making Taeko sigh.

"This is why I didn't want you to transfer here, or at least not yet. It's not safe!"

"And then you went and disappeared on your first day." Osano grumbled, making Hanako blush. "You'll give your sister a heart attack by the end of the year."

"I-I said I was sorry! The school's just so pretty! I wanted to look around…"

"You should've waited for me then." Taeko said.

"I… I'm sorry."

"It's fine. Just make sure not to do it again, alright? It's better if you don't go anywhere alone." She said. "Did you manage to make any friends, by the way?"

"Ah, yes! There's actually these guys…"

Ayano tuned out the conversation as it wasn't any interest to her. She didn't know how she ended up going home with such a loud group but here she was. It just didn't seem right to stray from them without any good reason.

But then her phone beeped, signaling a message. She read it and immediately paused.

They were just by the school gates at that moment and Osano was the first to notice that she stopped walking.

"Hey, what's up?" he asked, making the Yamada siblings pause as well.

For a moment, she was silent. And then she looked up to them. "You guys go on ahead; I'm going to go meet up with someone."

"Huh? Who?" Osano frowned.

"Just a club president, he asked me to go home with him."

"Well then, we'll come with you. We can all go home together!" Taeko grinned at the idea.

"... No. You should all go on ahead. He still has to take care of a few things so it'll probably take a while."

"But wouldn't you get scolded for staying at school?" Hanako asked, worried.

"It's fine, I'm sure the teacher or whoever will be patrolling the school will understand. I just think it'll best for me to accompany him since being alone isn't really the best thing to do right now."

"… I guess." Taeko muttered. "Will you really be alright?"

"Yes."

"… Okay. See you tomorrow, Aishi-san!"

"See you tomorrow, Yamada-senpai."

"Don't get into trouble, okay?" Osano said, obviously still upset about the incident with the delinquents.

"If something happens, I'll run." She promised.

He snorted. "Good."

"I'll see you tomorrow, Osano-kun."

"… See you."

"Bye, Aishi-senpai!"

"… Bye, Hanako-kun." She waved at them before walking back to the school while they went on their way.

"Will she be alright?" Taeko asked.

"Well, she _was_ in the Martial Arts Club…" Osano shrugged.

"Eh? Really?!" she gasped. "Then you think she's strong enough to take on the delinquents?"

"Like hell! Don't be stupid, just because they're just a bunch of troublemakers in the teacher's eyes doesn't mean they're a bunch of pushovers! Especially their leader…"

"Hmm… I guess."

"Speaking of which- hey Hanako!" he snapped, making the younger boy flinch. "You better not cause any more trouble for Ayano, alright?! You were lucky nothing bad happened today!"

"I-I won't!" he said, almost defensively. "What happened was just an accident on my part! It's not like I _wanted_ to cause trouble."

"Now now, Osano-kun, Hanako was a victim here too." Taeko sighed. "Sorry about him, Hanako. He's just upset since his beloved Ayano-chan almost got hurt."

"Wha- Sh-shut up! Don't say unnecessary things!" Osano cried out, blushing furiously.

Hanako frowned and curiously asked. "Are… Are Osano-nii and Aishi-senpai dating?"

This made the older teen blush harder and Taeko burst out laughing.

"No, no. Not yet, Hanako, Osano-kun hasn't confessed yet." She said after regaining her composure.

"Oi! What the hell are you spouting?! Just who is gonna confess, huh?! I never said anything about that!"

"No need to yell, Osano-kun. Jeez… You're such a tsundere." She giggled.

"Taeko!"

"Right, right…" she waved it off. "So who is she going to meet up with, anyway?"

"She said club president right? Which club is she in?" Hanako asked.

"Hm… If I remember right, it's the Gaming Club, right?" Taeko asked, looking at Osano who nodded.

"Gaming Club…?" Hanako asked, tilting his head to the side. "She doesn't look like the type who's into games though…"

"Yeah, I have to agree with you on that one." Osano snorted.

"Well, don't judge a book based on it's over, I guess." Taeko sighed to which Osano only hummed in reply.

He couldn't help but think though… Gema Taku, the president of the Gaming Club was a complete introvert and only ever talked about games. It'll be strange for him to call someone out to keep him company. What's more, Ayano implied that she was a bit close with the person she was going to accompany, and even though Taeko had just said not to be judgmental and presumptuous- he just couldn't imagine those two being friends.

But then again, she just said she was going to meet up with _a_ club president, not _her_ club's president. So it could be any of the club leaders. And it just so happens that Osano knew that Ayano was particularly close with one of them.

 _"The Club leader, Amao-senpai is very nice."_

Osano scowled, earning confused looks from the Yamada siblings.

* * *

Ayano sighed, making her way to the designated meeting place. She was thankful that she got away from the group easily; she honestly didn't think she'd be able to. Luckily, they bought her excuse.

She walked through the halls and finally arrived at her destination; classroom 2-1. She immediately walked in and closed the door behind her.

"What do you want?"

"As welcoming as usual, I see." She was greeted by a tall teen with blood red hair and eyes, smirking at her. She wasn't exactly sure how, but his posture and the air around him just screamed of arrogance.

"Make this quick, I'd rather not be seen with you." She scoffed.

"Ouch, that hurt." He said mockingly, placing a hand on his chest.

"You're the one who said that we should keep a low profile."

"It's fine, it's not like anyone knows who 'Info-kun' is or what he really looks like." He smirked.

Even though no one knows the true identity of Info-kun, everyone is well aware that he's a student of Akademi High, which was pretty obvious since that could be considered the only qualification for starting a club at any school. But not even the teachers knew who the Info Club's president was; all necessary interactions were done through emails. Ayano was one of the only two people who Info-kun trusted to show his face to, not that she felt honored about it.

Since it was pretty much an open secret that Info-kun liked to provide not so legal services at school, the student council has tried multiple times to shut the club down but were unsuccessful since Info-kun had the entire faculty backing him up.

Info-kun really has dirt on everybody in school.

Well, even if they did find out which student was running the Info Club, it would hardly matter since, as a student in Akademi High, he was using an alias (it made it easier for him to go AWOL anytime) that gave Ayano the impression that he was aiming for something bigger in the long run. Basically, Info-kun was attending classes like any other normal student and no one even knows about it. It kind of amused Ayano, just thinking about his poor classmates who had no idea they were sitting next to a psychopath.

"And it's not like you're one to talk. Didn't I tell you to stay out of trouble?"

"… Why am I not surprised?" she sighed, knowing full-well that he was talking about her little run-in with the delinquents. It's only been two hours since it happened, her really works fast.

"Because you know me, and you know how good I am at what I do." He smirked. "Honestly though, provoking _the_ Osoro Shidesu just as he got back from his suspension… That's stupid even for you."

"It's not like I wanted to."

"Ah, yes. You did it for your new friends, right?" he snorted. "I don't understand why though, you do realize that they're not worth the effort, right? Osano Najimi doesn't really have the most likeable personality so he isn't that popular, or even rich for that matter. And his friend, Taeko Yamada is painfully average. I doubt you'll be able to get anything useful from Hanako Yamada either."

"You shouldn't underestimate people so much, you know." Ayano shrugged, taking a seat at the teacher's table. "It's true that Yamada-senpai really is nothing special, but Osano-kun at the very least is showing some potential of being useful in the future."

"Oh~?" If he managed to get your approval then maybe he really is someone worthy of attention." He smirked. "Either that or you're just a poor judge of character."

Ayano scowled. "If you came here just to mock me, then I'm leaving."

"It's not like I'd waste my time with you, don't flatter yourself." He sighed. "Mido Rana and Mujo Kina, you've come into close contact with them, right?"

"… Yes."

"Care to elaborate?" he raised an eyebrow to which Ayano only sighed before retelling the events from that morning.

"Wow… looks like you've had an eventful day." He smirked. "Although I shouldn't be surprised, I suppose. You always did lean towards the role of 'teacher's pet'."

Ayano didn't bother retorting to that and instead asked; "Did you find anything out about them?"

"… Nothing in particular, but they're definitely suspicious."

"I already knew that."

"You don't know what I know though." He said, looking awfully serious. "Mido Rana is indeed a sunstitute teacher, but most of the schools he's worked at were lowly public schools with terrible reputations, most of them were even known to be the dumping ground of trouble children."

Ayano hummed, seeing his point. "You're saying that it's odd how he managed to get into Akademi High when we can assume that his resume would probably make any employer see him as less than desirable?"

He nodded.

"Well, if you think about it, maybe Akademi High just isn't that appealing for educators anymore. With all the ruckus we've caused this past year, isn't it understandable?" she snorted. "Plus, the requirements they give here are no joke. The standards this school holds for the faculty is higher than any other school out there, it probably trumps out a lot of universities too."

"True." He smirked. "I guess it makes sense to assume that they needed more employees but they didn't have any applicants so they decided to lower their standards… That's what you're thinking right?"

The smirk on his face made her narrow her eyes suspiciously.

"Well, you'll be wrong Yan-chan. It just so happens that there were over 50 applicants for teachers alone this year, granted it's much lower than the amount of applicants they usually get, but still…" he walked up and sat on the desk right in front of Ayano. "This is still Akademi High, Yan-chan, where talents are polished to the extent that you could consider it at the level of a university. Despite everything, people still think highly of it and if you manage to work here for even a year, you'll be a big shot once you leave and you'll pretty much be set for life. So it's understandable that people would be willing to _risk their life_ just to be able to work here."

He was smirking again, but instead of it being filled with arrogance, there was only raw bloodlust.

"It's really a shame that you're not strong enough to take out most teachers…" he said, absentmindedly making her scowl.

"Just get back to the point." She grumbled. "I get it; Akademi High is still an 'amazing' school, but then that begs the question…"

"Why did they hire him of all people?" he voiced her thoughts. "That's what I'm still trying to figure out. But from the looks of it, our president has already made his move."

"What do you mean?" she raised an eyebrow.

"Other than the schools he's been working at as a substitute for the past few years and the basic information , I can't seem to find out anything about him." He sighed. "Normally, you'd assume that there's probably just nothing noteworthy about him so there's nothing left to figure out. But then again… that's even more suspicious."

"You think Rana-sensei is working for the president, who helped hide whatever there is in his records because it would've given him away immediately."

Info-kun nodded. "Of course it's only speculation at this point."

Ayano nodded. "And Mujo-sensei?"

"On first name basis already, huh?" Info-kun smirked. "He was a military nurse before coming here."

"Military..?" Ayano frowned, finding it quite hard to imagine.

"Yes… it's quite strange to go from working for the military to working at a school."

"I can understand your concern."

In any case, it's a good thing that you managed to get close to them on their first day here, but I can't help but wonder though…"

Their gazes darkened.

"What if they purposely tried to get close to me?" she asked, voicing in concern.

"It's not entirely far-fetched since Mido Rana asked you to meet him up tomorrow, they may be waiting for you to slip up and give yourself away." He said. "Or, then again, maybe he just found you interesting and they really have no clue. It can go either way, but I can understand if it's the latter."

"I doubt it." She sighed. "What could he have seen in me that could possibly make me stand out in a class of thirty students?"

"Now now, you shouldn't underestimate yourself, Yan-chan. I can tell you now that you're a lot more interesting than you realize." He chuckled. "After all, the main reason I keep you around is because you're so _fun_."

She raised an eyebrow at this. "And I also because I happen to have a knack for killing people?"

"Well, yes. That's a plus too." He smirked, making her roll her eyes.

"That behavior of yours is what I hate the most about you." She said. "If you're so bored, then why don't you use your time to get rid of Megamo Saikou?"

"All in due time, Yan-chan~."

"Oh? So you have a plan?" she asked, crossing her arms.

His eyes became cold, but he tried to hide it behind a smirk. "There are still too many unknown factors to be able to formulate one. But rest assured, we'll be able to eliminate him one way or another."

Ayano stared at him silently for a moment before giggling.

"What?" he frowned.

"It's rare to see you so challenged."

"Well, it's rare to _find_ a challenge."

"It makes things interesting at the very least."

"True, it can still be a pain though."

"Especially since you can't afford to lose. You've committed more crimes than there are stars in the sky, who knows what will happen to you if you get caught." She said, pausing to think for a moment before she couldn't stop herself from giggling again.

"What?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It's just that, you've never lost anything in your life before. That's why you're so arrogant, isn't it? So I couldn't help but think," she smirked sadistically. "It would be _**so** amusing_ to see the mighty _Info-kun_ defeated and at the mercy of someone else, just imagining it makes me want to _laugh_."

Info-kun maintained a blank face as she added. "I would really like to see that, you trying to _desperately_ salvage the remains of whatever plan you managed to come up with and then _begging_ for _mercy_. **_I want to see it_**."

She giggled, trying to hold herself back from laughing hard.

"I've never seen you look so excited." He sighed in exasperation. "You hardly get excited over anything."

"Well, of course, especially when you always give me boring jobs."

Info-kun was silent for a moment before he stood up. "I just want to say this; don't get your hopes up. This is just a bump in the road for a long journey that's ahead of us, there's no need to worry so much because when all this is over and done with, I'll be the one standing victorious. Don't doubt that for a second. If I can't even defeat someone like Megamo Saikou, then I shouldn't have chosen the road I've taken in the first place. And also…"

He walked up to her and cupped her chin with two fingers before leaning over so their faces were only inches apart and their eyes bore into each other's souls. "I'd like to remind you that even though I may find you interesting to have around, if you _ever_ stand in my way then…"

He smirked, leaning even closer. " ** _I'll kill you_**."

"… I'm not so pathetic as to use underhanded methods." She sighed. "If you fall, it would be because of a mistake you made. It would be funnier to watch that way."

"Good, glad that we can agree." He snorted. "Also, don't assume that you'll be able to get away with anything. At the end of the day, you were the one who committed all those murders. So if I ever get knocked down, then I'm dragging you down with me."

"I'd rather not have that happen." She said. "Well, it's fine I guess. It would be too troublesome for me if you got caught now, anyway. Especially when I still haven't established much connections. I'll get rid of you eventually, until then, try not to die."

"Oh~? That's the closest thing to concern you've ever showed for me. How it _warms_ my heart." Info-kun smirked before letting her go and walking back. "Well then, it's nice to be assured that my childhood friend won't stab me in the back."

Ayano scowled but didn't say anything.

"Oh, by the way, I didn't find anything suspicious about Amao Odayaka."

She frowned. "Nothing at all?"

"No, he's in the clear. So you can stop being paranoid about him."

"… Fine, I'll trust your sources."

"You should." He said. "And also, I don't want to take any chances with everything that's going on so I want you to delete my number."

"You think they'll get a hacker?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "One that's better than you?"

"I doubt they'll be able to find one but considering the power Saikou Corp. has at its disposal, I don't want to take any chances." He said. "If I need you, then I'll come for you personally. If you ever need me, then you can just approach my assistant. It'll be less suspicious that way."

"Alright." She nodded. "At least it would I mean I won't have to see your face or hear your voice so often anymore."

"I must say that I'll miss talking to you, Yan-chan." He said, teasingly. "You may find it hard to believe, but I enjoy our little talks."

"With how much you seem to like getting on my nerves, it doesn't really come as much of a surprise."

Info-kun smirked. "Well, you can think of it as temporarily achieving the independence you've been craving so much of. In any case, that's all the time we have for today."

He pulled out his phone, fumbling with it for a while before turning to her.

"You hacked the security cameras again?" she asked, his smirk was more than enough to answer her question.

"I didn't bother doing it when you came up here, so you can just pretend that you left something behind and went back for it. I'll go on first, wait around ten minutes before leaving too."

"I got it."

"Make sure not to give anything away, okay Yan-chan?"

"I'm not stupid." She scoffed. "Just hurry up and get rid of him."

He smirked before walking out the door. Ayano sighed; their talks always left her mentally exhausted. She stood up and headed to her desk whilst pulling out her phone and deleting Info-kun's number, as well as all of their texts and call logs.

It would be tough not being able to contact him, she could admit to that much. Despite how annoying she found him at times, he really was the only person she was sure she could rely on and also one of the handful of people who managed to earn her respect. He was someone whom she didn't have to pretend around.

She sighed. Being around other people must really be affecting her sanity if she was starting to consider Info-kun as a _friend_ of all things.

She could only hope that everything blows off soon, she was already paranoid enough without the student council actively (unknowingly) chasing after her. She didn't need any more stress in her life.

The door to the classroom opened, making her flinch.

" _What_ do you think you're doing here?"

Shit. She recognized that voice, slowly turning around; she came face to face with the worst case scenario.

Megamo Saikou.

"We've announced _multiple_ times that all students are to leave the school premises after the assembly." He eyed her suspiciously.

This was bad, but not terrible. At least he showed up after Info-kun left.

"I apologize, I left my book behind and it was important that I retrieved it, since we have a test tomorrow."

Megamo scowled. "That's hardly a valid excuse, the student council already has its hands full, we don't have time to waste on students who can't even follow simple instructions."

"I apologize." She said, bowing her head.

For a few moments, he didn't say anything and since Ayano had her head bowed, she couldn't see the expression on his face.

Her mind was racing; was he suspicious of her? Did they really find something out and that's why Mido Rana called for her early that morning? Was it a sign that they were on to her?

Logically speaking, they really shouldn't have any evidences to pin her down to begin with. Unless Info-kun messed up, which she highly doubted. So if Megamo really was suspicious of her, then this encounter would just be a way of trying to indirectly pry information from her. She wouldn't be surprised if he was skilled in psychological manipulation, so Ayano would have to be careful with her words.

Or on the other hand, it was also entirely possible that he really just so happened to be patrolling the classrooms for anyone that didn't follow their orders. If that's the case and Megamo wasn't really suspicious of her to begin with, then he probably was now. Ayano had already made a mistake, and she'd still have to be careful with her words in order to convince Megamo that she was completely harmless.

"You do realize that it's dangerous to go around the school alone?" he said. "The killer is still at large, and whoever he is, he manages to get students to a remote area where there would be no witnesses. The safest you can possibly be is to stick to a crowd."

"I don't really have many friends." She stated honestly, standing upright again. She didn't really consider the Yamada siblings as friends, so if you count them, then she only had four; Osano, Amao, Oko and Aso. Five if you include Info-kun. That's not really a lot.

Megamo raised an eyebrow at this. "Is that so? Then that's all the more reason to be wary, there doesn't seem to be a pattern with the killer's targets so it's entirely possible that you could be next."

Huh?

"... I was a member of the Martial Arts Club so I'm much more capable than others."

"Is that so?"

"Yes."

He was still looking at her suspiciously, and Ayano honestly didn't know what to do so she stayed silent.

"I don't condone disobedience in my school." He said. "What's your name?"

"Ayano Aishi."

"Class 2-1?"

"Yes, that's why I'm here."

He scoffed at the slight sass in her tone. "Come to the student council's office tomorrow morning before class, I'll decide on the proper punishment for you then."

She frowned at that; punishing someone when they had a perfectly good reason for it, wasn't that a little harsh?

He seemed to realize her train of thought. "I won't tolerate any type of , especially at a crucial time in our school. We'll need the cooperation of all students if we even hope to have a chance of catching the culprit."

"Expecting everyone to cooperate without complaint is a bit naive, isn't it?" she asked. "After all, human beings are equipped with free will. And some tend to use theirs specifically to go against authorities, take the delinquents for example."

Megamo raised an eyebrow. "Are you one of them?"

"No, it's too much of a troublesome way of life, in my opinion." She said. "I just want to say that if you're going to devise a plan, it should be one that doesn't rely solely on the will of others. Those kind of plans are doomed to fail."

"You underestimate me." He said, coldly. "I have a way of getting people to do what I want. Punishing them for the slightest sign of disobedience just so happens to be one of them."

"Then I look forward to what you'll come up with tomorrow." She said it in a way that was so apathetic, it was almost mocking.

"Do you not believe that the student council can catch the culprit?" he asked.

"I don't know, it's still too early to tell. I have no idea what you have up your sleeves after all." She said. "May I leave now? I've gotten what I came for and I'll be sure to come to the student council room tomorrow morning."

Megamo was silent for a moment before he jerked his head towards the doors. "Leave, and you better not make any detours."

"Of course, good luck in your mission to protect the school, Saikou-senpai." She said.

Putting her phone back in her bag, Ayano made her way out.

She paused at the door, which caught his attention.

"What? Did you forget something else?" he asked, clearly annoyed.

She wasn't entirely sure why she stopped either; she was curious but surely finding out the answer is not worth it?

Her curiosity does tend to get the best of her often, she was a logical person and as such she wants to always have the facts laid out in front of her. But no matter how smart she was, there was just some things she couldn't figure out no matter how hard she tried.

Humans.

She wanted to understand them, but no amount of psychology readings allowed her to. Some humans were simple and easy to read, while others were complex and impossible to comprehend.

Megamo Saikou was the latter.

So that part of her, the curious part that craves for answers in hopes that it could somehow fill the gaping hole in her chest wanted to figure him out.

"Saikou-senpai, why do you want to catch the culprit?"

He didn't reply, so she turned around to see him clearly confused.

"Why, you ask? Well, why wouldn't you want to catch him? He's a danger to society and there's no way anyone can-"

"That's not what I'm asking." She cut him off, rather rudely. "I mean, why did you decide to bear that responsibility?"

He didn't reply, so she took that as a sign to continue.

"You're from a well-known family so your future is already set. You're the number one in this prestigious school of ours in terms of grades, looks and status. There's nothing else you could ask for, and there's nothing but success in the path you walk." She said. "So why bother with this? It would just be easier to let the adults handle it, isn't it? There's nothing to gain from catching the culprit, since the school administration would likely take most of the credit. So then, why do you want so badly to do so?"

"Is it pride? Do you still feel the need to prove yourself even after everything you've accomplished? Or are you afraid that the killer will go for you next? Is there perhaps something they're offering you that we, students don't know about? Or… are you just bored?"

She gazed at him, eyes blank; cold but demanding. The last question was said in a slightly mocking tone, but the curiosity in it never wavered.

And neither did Megamo's stare.

"It's none of those." He crossed his arms. "I'm doing it for the sake of saving Akademi High, because to me, there's nothing else of greater importance."

He said it with such conviction and his eyes showing sincerity that there was no doubt in Ayano's mind that he was telling the truth, no matter how hard it was for her to believe.

Any other person would've read between the lines and realized the meaning behind those words.

 _'I care about Akademi High.'_

 _'Akademi High is important to me.'_

But Ayano, who never really considered anything important, who acknowledged that everything in the world is temporary and doomed to disappear- even her own life- couldn't comprehend his words.

Akademi High, no matter how prestigious it was, was still just a school. What did he mean by 'save'? Why would he go through the effort of doing that? What is he saying?

It doesn't make any sense.

"You realize that you've put yourself in a dangerous position. It would be completely understandable if the killer went after you next, and you have no idea what he's capable of." She said. "You could die."

"If I die, then it would be for the sake of our school." He said. "Whatever happens happens. But I cannot let him run amok any longer."

"You're willing to put your life on the line?"

"Of course." He said. And, studying the girl in front of him, he couldn't help but ask. "Haven't you ever had something worth protecting? Worth risking your life over?"

"No." she said, bluntly. "I've never had something like that. So I just can't understand your reasons."

Silence.

Megamo stared at her coldly.

"I feel sorry for you then." His words made her flinch.

What..?

It doesn't make any sense. Ayano couldn't understand at all, and for the first time in her life, she almost felt helpless. His words, and the way he said it made her all the more aware that there was something missing in her life. That there was something inherently wrong with her.

"Well, in the first place, my motives are none of your concern." He scoffed. "What matters is that I will succeed, don't doubt the power of the student council."

For a few moments, she was at loss for words.

"… I see... forgive me then." She said, bowing again which made him snort. "But you know senpai, I may not understand you very well, but I do know that you're definitely wrong about one thing."

"Huh?" he narrowed his eyes. "What are you talking about?"

"The victims." She answered simply. "They all have something in common, that could be considered as a 'pattern', no?"

Megamo flinched. "What…?!"

"I suppose it's understandable for you not to realize this since you're always so busy and have no time to worry about the lives of each individual students, but honestly it's not that hard to see it." She said. "If you even want to hope to be able to catch this killer, then I suggest you figure this out first."

And with that, Ayano walked out. She was actually surprised that he didn't stop her and demand for answers.

She snorted, was he so prideful that he wanted to figure it out himself rather than rely on the knowledge of others? Well, she could understand that. She was, after all, only some random student. For all he knew, she could be lying.

Ayano was probably going to regret telling him that, but honestly she was a bit disappointed. She had always thought that that piece of information was so obvious, and yet they hadn't realized it? Looks like Megamo Saikou isn't as amazing as people would have you to believe. Info-kun might actually have an easier time getting rid of him than she initially thought.

How disappointing.

 _'I feel sorry for you then.'_

She paused in her tracks. There was absolutely no one around, the halls were empty and no one could question her actions. Her face was blank, but certain emotions were raging inside.

Ayano hated being helpless. She craved for independence and perfection. But she never realized she could be so petty.

If she were to be honest, the reason why she told him that was her own way of getting back at him for making her feel that way.

Ayano was already well aware that she was a freak; she didn't need anyone rubbing it in her face.

* * *

 **I hope you liked it ~ !**

 **Whoever can guess Info-kun's assistant, I will message them asking for their favorite male!Rival paired with Ayano and make a one-shot focusing on that pair. And WAIT- I already know what you're thinking! And I'll tell you right now!**

 **It's not her.**

 **Who am I referring to? Who knows ~ ? ;) When do I even plan on revealing this...? Probably not next chapter.**

 _~ We'll cross that bridge when we get there ~_

 **So** _a sin bucket_ **gave this amazing review last chapter and it just made me blush~ v Thank you! But then, as I wrote this chapter, I don't think I kept them in character... To be honest I just had fun with their personalities (I thought of the sadistic side of Ayano- the part when she was making fun of Info-kun- while remembering the cool game mechanic of her laughing evilly). And to be fair, I think it's because I don't have much to work with. The scene with Megamo here was inspired by YanDev's latest vid though so hoped you liked that~ I hope they still managed to maintain their identities here.**

 _Reviewer1_ **said all the way back in chapter 3 that they loved the vague relationship Ayano and Info-kun had so I wanted to go a bit deeper into that one, so I hope you liked that bit!**

 _AxDevilman_ **asked if Nemesis will be here and yes, SHE will be ^_^ just not sure how I'll introduce her yet.**

 _Eclipse130_ **said she appreciated the 'slow burn sort of attraction',** _a sin bucket_ **also liked the 'reasonable pacing' which I'm happy for! It's actually challenging to write this because I don't want to bore you guys with the details too much but at the same time, I REALLY hate it when a relationship goes from awkward silence to make-out sessions in the span of three chapters.**

 **There're a lot of you who reviewed, and I wanna say that I really appreciate but I want to get this out before midnight and it's 11:49 so...**

 **I LOVE YOU ALL AND I HOPE YOU ENJOYED THIS CHAPTER. I made Megamo and Ayano's interaction a bit longer since I thought a lot of people were looking forward to it... I hope you weren't too disappointed .**

 **I'll try to answer more reviews next time...**

 **SO? What did you think about the chapter though? Should I not make it too long? Because I realized that people might actually have trouble scrolling through this if I keep up this long-ass chapters :/ Or do you guys not mind at all? Also, what alias/fake name do you think Info-kun would have? Liked it? Hated it? Boring? More romance? Let me know ~ !**

 **PS. I see you Blueberry357 ;)**

 **Please review ~ !**

 **~ RnR ~ !**

 **~ RnR ~ !**


	7. Chapter 7

**I DID THAT THING AGAIN WHEN I SAID I'D POST EVERY WEEK BUT THEN STOP ABRUPTLY AND FEEL GUILTY BECAUSE YOU GUYS ARE SO SUPPORTIVE AND DESERVE A REGULAR UPDATE I'M SORRY.**

 **But HEY! 6,592 words, I've outdone myself... probably. I was gonna go for 3k and post it but then procrastinated... That happened last week...**

 **I hope this chapter makes up for it! .**

 **Hope you enjoy ~ !**

* * *

Ayano was starting to get annoyed at herself; she's been fairly up in the clouds this week. This was a dangerous habit to have, since _she_ could show up at any time.

"Yo! So you still haven't gone home yet?" Ayano flinched at the sudden voice from right beside her. She berated herself for letting her guard down, yet again.

"Ah, good afternoon, Aso-senpai."

"Afternoon!" he greeted back. "I thought you'd be at home by now. It's been a while since they've dismissed us."

"Ah, well, I had to retrieve something from my classroom." She said. "What about you, Aso-senpai?"

"Oh, the Sports Club helped out with cleaning the assembly hall. Generally, the Drama Club is the one in charge, but they asked us to take over for today."

"… I see."

"But well, we had most of the teachers with us so it was okay. I heard while the faculty cleaned up, the student council was patrolling the area. You didn't run into any of them, did you?"

"Ah…" she said. "I did actually."

"Eh?! Really? Who was it?" he asked, looking quite concerned. "Not the president, I hope? I heard he's a real stickler for the rules…"

"He is. I can confirm that, unfortunately." She said, quite bitterly.

Aso blinked before realization dawned on him. "Aw, man… That must've been rough. You didn't get into too much trouble, did you?"

"I don't know yet, he just asked me to meet him tomorrow before class starts."

He frowned. "I hope he isn't too harsh on you."

She recalled her words and how they can be perceived as a form of mockery towards the student council.

"It would be best not to get your hopes up."

His frown deepened. "If you want, I could talk to him. I mean, we're not really the closest but maybe I can convince him to go easy on you. I _have_ helped out the school's reputation _loads_ of times, so asking him for a small favor won't be that big of a deal."

So his influence extended to even the student council? Ayano made a mental note of that and pondered on it.

"No need, senpai. It was my fault for being careless, so I'll take responsibility for it."

It was better to save that favor for emergencies.

"Really?" he sighed. "I'm worried though, he's not the type to go easy on people."

"I'll be fine, Aso-senpai."

"If you say so… But if he bullies you or anything, don't be afraid to come to me, okay?" he grinned, ruffling her hair. "I got your back if anything happens!"

Ayano sighed, fixing her hair, though she didn't really find the sensation unpleasant. She's starting to understand why so many people find Aso's personality so likeable; he was just so kind and reliable, and he made you feel accepted.

Even if you were a freak.

Ayano stopped walking, immediately catching his attention.

"Oh? What's wrong?" he asked, raising an eyebrow but she stayed silent.

" _I feel sorry for you then."_

"It's nothing." She said, continuing on.

Ayano had always been alone, she never really fit in with her peers and she never minded. She found others either pathetic and stupid or simply average. So there was really no one who she found that was worth her time. The few exceptions were her parents (although her father was debatable) and Info-kun, who were both similar to her. But because of that similarity, there was barely any relationship there to speak of.

And she hadn't minded. She didn't care about being an outcast because it was never a big deal for her, but she still had to admit that there had always been a feeling of emptiness inside of her that she couldn't quite describe. It was as if something inside of her was missing and ever since she started socializing with others and experiencing the tiny little bits of content and began to get a semblance of normalcy, the feeling inside of her became more and more prominent.

The emptiness seemed to weigh down on her shoulders along with the realization that there was something wrong with her (she always knew but it seemed like it only now sinked in). Then she began craving, wanting for that hole in her chest to be filled and for this longing to be satiated. But she didn't know what she wanted. She didn't know what she craved or what was missing.

The conversation earlier only served to remind her of that gaping hole inside her. It felt as if the president knew what was wrong with her and found it obvious even though Ayano had spent her whole life with no idea as to what it was.

"Hey, are you sure you're alright?" Aso asked, looking very concerned.

She nodded. "Of course. Why do you ask?"

"Well, it looks like something is bothering you."

"Ah…" to think that she even lost her reign on her emotions.

Well, she never had control over them; it was just that she never experienced them so much before. But lately, it's been very overwhelming.

"Aso-senpai, may I ask you something?"

"Sure, what is it?"

"Do you promise to be completely honest with me, first?"

His brows furrowed but he nodded. "Yeah, okay. What's up?"

"Do you find me strange?"

It was Aso's turn to stop in his tracks, not that she minded. Ayano continued to stare at him, waiting for an answer.

He just stared back for a moment, looking surprised at the sudden question.

"… What?"

"Do you find me strange?" she asked, recalling times when she was younger when children her age would call her names. It never really bothered her, but it probably should have. "Some may think that I'm… 'weird'. Do you think so?"

"No." he said almost immediately with a frown. "Of course not… who told you that?"

"Nobody in particular, but I have heard that people tend to have that sort of impression on me."

His frown deepened and he seemed to be ponder on her words for a moment.

"… Ayano-chan?"

"Yes?"

"Are you being bullied?"

Ayano tilted her head to the side. Bullying? She never experienced anything like their clients had (destruction of their property, physical assault, blackmail, etc.) but looking back, there was a time when children her age liked to tease her. Ayano had a feeling that they were afraid of her (and she was probably right) because of how apathetic she always was (it was apparently unnerving to some people) so it never escalated to anything more than snide comments and bad rumors made about her. Since their words never bothered her, she just chose to ignore them and they eventually stopped.

Did those count as bullying?

"No." she said and hesitated for a moment. "Not anymore, at least."

It probably did.

His frown deepened.

"You're not strange. I guess you just have trouble making friends, but everyone has that problem at some point in their lives."

"Really?" she asked, perking up. So this experience was normal?

"Yeah." He nodded. Aso couldn't quite help the slight smile, seeing her expression brighten up even a tiny bit. "Do you not get along with your classmates, Ayano-chan?"

She frowned. "It's not that I don't get along with them…"

She just thought it was too troublesome. But then again…

"Although I have made… a friend as of late."

"Really?" he asked, sounding excited for reasons she couldn't even begin to comprehend. "What are they like?"

And with that, Ayano found herself talking about Osano Najimi, her first friend (she was still debating with herself about Info-kun) and telling her senpai about how interesting she found him and how he was more reliable than he appeared to be. It was quite surprising how easy she found it to talk to Aso. It felt natural, similar to Amao but at the same time different.

In some ways, Amao was still a mystery to her but he still felt welcoming and homey. He gave off an aura of peace, something she wasn't accustomed to but found pleasant nonetheless. His cheerfulness and kindness gave him a calm aura that was somehow contagious and made her feel content with being in his company. While on the other hand, Aso was open and reliable. Although Ayano was certain that she can rely on Amao just as much, she just found it easier to trust Aso. Not completely, since she had learned not to completely open herself to others, but he just somehow made it feel like things were going to be okay.

Ayano, for some reason, found herself telling Aso about the Yamada siblings as well. She even told him about the incident that occurred earlier that afternoon.

She usually didn't talk so much, it made Ayano wonder if the president's words bothered her a lot more than she had initially thought.

"Osoro Shidesu?!" Aso asked, disbelieved. "That guy's seriously bad news! Are you okay?!"

"Osano-kun kept on asking the same. I'm fine, Aso-senpai." She said. "He doesn't seem to understand it though, Osano-kun seemed very upset earlier when he found out."

"That's normal." He sighed, but couldn't help the smile. "It means that he cares about you, Najimi-san must've been very worried."

"… He probably was." She nodded.

"It's nice that you found a good friend who's willing to look after you."

"You think so?"

"Yeah." He grinned. "But next time, don't be so reckless okay? Osoro Shidesu is a lot worse than the president, I don't think he's the type to go easy on you, even if you're a girl."

"I'm fine." She insisted. "If you would recall, I was a member of the Martial Arts Club, senpai."

"But still…" he sighed. "You should know how to pick your battles."

"I do, which is why I didn't fight them." She said. "Although I will admit that it was luck that allowed us to leave from their 'territory' unscathed, you have to admit that it was the best decision at the time."

"I'm gonna have to disagree with you on that one."

She looked him in the eye with her usual seriousness and asked. "If it were you, Aso-senpai, I'm certain that you wouldn't have left your kouhai to fend for themselves against those hooligans."

Aso blinked in surprise.

And then he started laughing.

Ayano was quite unsure of what to do in such a situation so she stayed silent.

"You're a nice girl, Ayano-chan."

"You think so?" she asked. Info-kun would definitely beg to differ.

"But you are right." He chuckled. "But you know, I definitely won't blame my friends if they get mad at me for it. It's kinda like the price you need to pay for making that decision. After all, you gotta admit that it was a reckless decision.

As much as she hated to admit it, she had to nod in agreement. Even she wasn't entirely sure as to what urged her to take action at the time.

"So just bear with us worrywarts for now, okay?" he said, ruffling her hair again. "And promise me you'll call me whenever you need any help."

"… I promise."

"Thanks, Ayano-chan!" he grinned.

"For what..?"

"For bearing with me, I just can't help but worry about you, you know? I mean, I know you're not really a member of my club yet and to be honest I might be acting nosey but…" he trailed off, looking sheepish and unsure as to what to really say.

"I don't mind." She shrugged. "It's nice to know that I'm able to rely on someone. I appreciate your concern very much, Aso-senpai."

"Really?" he grinned sheepishly. "Thanks, I guess?"

Ayano nodded, and as an afterthought, spoke up. "Aso-senpai?"

"Yeah?"

"I just want you to know that if you ever need someone, I'm always willing to help as well." She said.

It was the least she could do.

He blinked. "Ah… well-"

"I might not be as reliable as you, senpai." She cut him off. "But I'll do my best. So I hope you'll be able to rely on me as well."

Aso chuckled. "It's fine though, I can take care of myself, you know."

"As can I." she said. "But I've found that… It's comforting to know that you're not alone."

He didn't say anything, and she couldn't blame him. She was so used to saying lies and half-truths that it almost seemed strange to be so honest.

"I can't argue with that." His voice was uncharacteristically quiet. "Thank you, Ayano-chan."

His words somehow seemed more genuine and Ayano found herself smiling with a lot less effort than it usually took.

"Thank you as well, Aso-senpai."

The rest of their walk continued in a comfortable silence, as Ayano chose not to think too much on the slightly surprised look that Aso had given her.

They reached the town when Aso spoke up.

"Ah, sorry Ayano-chan. But I need to run some errands while I'm here." He said.

"I see." She said. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Yeah, see ya!" he said before they went their separate ways.

Aso suddenly stopped in his tracks, he turned around and called after her.

"Ayano-chan!"

"Hm?" she turned to face him.

"Are we still up for this Friday?" he asked, a little hesitantly.

"Of course." She nodded. "Unless you have something else planned..? I don't mind rescheduling, Aso-senpai."

"Oh, no! Just making sure." He grinned. "Well, take care, alright?"

"You too." She nodded.

* * *

Megamo was feeling quite frustrated. He couldn't get that girl's words out of his head. Was she messing with him? It could be some sick prank she's trying to pull to get back at the student council president for being so harsh. But Megamo's instincts were telling him that that was not the case. And if he's learned anything from his father, it was that sometimes your instincts is the most reliable asset you have.

But what could she mean?

 _"They all have something in common."_

All victims had distinct personalities, there were quite a few honor students and some who were borderline delinquents. More than half of them though were just your average student. Sure, a great deal of them came from well-off families, but Akademi High's student population is mostly composed of people with prominent backgrounds, so that could be labeled as a coincidence. It doesn't help that there was a handful of students from middle-class families thrown into the mix.

It was reported that most of the victims had little to no contact with each other, with a handful of exceptions. There's no one that can be tied to each victim, even if you were a club leader or a student council member, there was no way anyone could've known and had a connection to all of the victims because of their distinct personalities.

Megamo would know all of this, because he's poured over the list of victims along with their profiles hundreds of times trying to figure out a pattern. So what was that girl babbling on about?

 _"It's not that hard to see it."_

"Tsk." was he being made fun of? What could that girl possibly know that he doesn't? He'd have to give her an earful for making fun of the student council.

"President, everyone has gathered for the meeting."

He snapped out of his thoughts when the student council secretary, Rham Nusiya, appeared seemingly out of nowhere. He must've really let that girl's words get to him if he was letting his guard down like that.

"Ah, alright. I'll be right there." he sighed, massaging the bridge of his nose in an attempt to relieve some stress.

"Is everything alright, president?"

"Yes..." he said. "It's just that-"

 _"I suppose it's understandable for you not to realize this."_ her apathetic tone rang through his mind. _"Since you're always so busy and have no time to worry about the lives of each individual students"_

Could it be possible that the students know something? It's true that most of the council members are generally busy with work, so they don't mingle with students often, so it's entirely possible that they've missed something. Something that wasn't in their file.

"-ident." the SC Secretary's voice grew louder. "President!"

"Huh?" he asked, blinking. "I apologize, what was that?"

"Are you feeling well, president?" she frowned. "Shall I cancel the meeting? It wouldn't do to have you risk your health for something like this. Your father would be upset as well, we can reschedule-"

"No." he said sternly. "I'm fine."

She was silent for a moment. "Alright. But if there's anything-"

"I want you to find out more about the victims."

"Pardon?" she asked. "I'm certain that you've already been provided with their files."

"Not that!" he said. "We must be missing something..."

The SC Secretary stood there silently, awaiting for an order and Megamo did not disappoint.

"I want to know about their reputation among the other students; all the rumors about them, their friends any other relationship they had in this school- all the personal details that any other student knows about the victims. Compile them and have send them to me by tonight."

"Understood." she said, almost robotically.

"For now, you're excused from the meeting." he said. "Make good use of your time."

"Will you be alright?"

"Of course, don't underestimate me." he scoffed. "Now go."

She bowed before taking her leave. Megamo sighed before making his way to the student council room.

"You're late." someone spoke up the moment he step foot inside the room. "Considering the fact that I'm doing you a favor by being here, I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't waste my time."

"Now, don't say that. Don't you think it's an honor to be working with them?" A chuckle. "After all, Akademi High has come a long way since we graduated."

Megamo scowled. Oh how his precious school has fallen to have to resort to asking these two disgraces for help.

Mido Rana smirked from his seat, his feet propped up on the table. And across him, Mujo Kina was chuckling in amusement, his cheek resting on a hand that was propped on the table.

"An honor?" Mido snorted. "Well, the students here are interesting at least."

"I have to agree with you on that one." Mujo smiled.

"Well then," Megamo said, facing to the other occupants of the room; the teachers and the other student council members sans the secretary. "Shall we begin?"

* * *

On her way home, Ayano pondered on what she'll do when she got there. She didn't have much homework, and she's already advance with her lessons. She also just cleaned the house the other day, so there's not much chores that needed her immediate attention.

Maybe she'll call someone? She doesn't want to bother Osano though, he might be busy and he did say to only call him when needed. Amao was always a nice companion, but she had no idea what they could possibly talk about so she'll probably just send him a text. Ah, that's right. She has Oko's number now, but she'll probably just send him a text as well.

The displays in front of a bookstore she frequents at caught her attention and snapped her out of her thoughts. There was a sale, and majority of the books that were on display were mangas.

Now Ayano wasn't really an otaku, per se. But she did enjoy reading, and once in a while she found herself indulging on those picture books with surprisingly good dialogue and an above average plot that's enough to keep her interested.

Thinking about it now, she just finished all the manga she had so it couldn't hurt to get more. Probably something that could teach her to be more sociable.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the wallflower."

Ayano looked up from scanning the books to come face to face with one of her senpais.

"Sunobu-senpai." She nodded in greeting, slightly pausing to wonder about the 'wallflower' thing.

"Fancy seeing you here." He smirked. "I didn't peg you for the type who likes to indulge yourself in the world of fiction."

She raised an eyebrow at that. What was wrong with enjoying reading manga?

"But then again, when I first saw you, I never would've thought that you're the kind of person who would join the Gaming Club either."

She blinked. "Has that little fact become that widespread?"

"It's the Gaming Club."

For some reason, she found that she couldn't argue with that fact. So instead, she asked "What's so wrong about having a hobby?"

"Oh, there's nothing wrong with it." He said. "It's just that you seemed like the type who would prefer to study than waste your time on what most would consider as frivolous activities."

Well, if she was going to be honest, she was.

"Studying is tedious." She said, honestly. Because isn't that a universal truth among students?

He chuckled. "That's another thing I didn't expect to hear from you, you seem like a smart girl."

"I am." She said. "But no matter how good you are at something, at a certain point it gets boring, doesn't it?"

It seems like Kizano didn't expect that answer, he looked quite surprised but then burst out laughing. Ayano wasn't exactly sure what was funny and didn't really know what to do in that situation, so she just waited for him to stop.

"I'll have to agree with you there." He chuckled, once he regained his composure and glanced at the stack of books on sale that she had been eyeing. "So, do you like shoujo manga or are you just interested in the sale?"

Ayano's gaze returned to the stack. "I heard that these were the kind of books aimed towards my particular demographic."

Ayano wasn't entirely sure how, but they ended up talking about books. Ayano didn't really have any particular preferences but Kizano had a few opinions that she actually found quite interesting.

"The character here is so flawed it's brilliant! She's not so flawed to the point that she's cringeworthy, but enough for people to actually relate to her."

"I find the plot of this one atrocious! It's like the mangaka just took the most generic concept and had it augmented by a child!"

"Oh, you've read that one? Might I say that it may just be one of the most underrated pieces of art in its time! Such a masterpiece surely deserves more praise!"

Kizano Sunobu has definitely devoted his life to the theater. To the point that his every move seemed dramatic, he could probably make heads turn with his mere presence. He's also passionate about art in any form, which is why he's somewhat knowledgeable about the anime/manga community although he was more of a casual fan than anything else.

With this small little thing they had in common, they hit it off right away. Ayano never really had anyone to talk to about the manga she reads, she never even thought about talking about it with someone. But thinking about it now, she always had a few questions about certain things or even a few simple comments, but had no one to tell. Her mother certainly wouldn't be interested in such things, and it seems stupid to go to Info-kun about it.

Talking about manga with Kizano was surprisingly… pleasant- dare she say fun. She got to ask him questions that she was always worried would be stupid to ask (she never understood what her peers considered to be 'common sense') and sure, Kizano did laugh at her. But it wasn't the degrading laugh she expected, she couldn't really explain it. He was definitely amused but Ayano didn't feel offended at all by it. In the end, he would explain the concept to her and it was very enlightening.

"Ah, yes. Our peers are so concerned about the now that they don't even think about tomorrow. Honestly, who cares if you get a low mark on a test or that your crush is paying no attention to you. That won't matter a year from now, so why should it matter now?" Kizano was ranting at this point.

They had left the store after she purchased a book that he recommended and somehow found themselves at a well-known café in their area. Ayano had just asked about a certain problem that a heroine in a manga had which she couldn't really comprehend. The heroine was smart and dreamed of going to a very prestigious school, but she had a boyfriend whose grades weren't really outstanding. If she did go to her dream school then that would mean that she would be in a long-distance relationship with her boyfriend.

… That's it.

That's her 'problem', which takes her three volumes to figure out. Ayano had never been so confused in her entire life.

"I agree." She said. "I honestly don't understand why her 'boyfriend' would matter at all. Shouldn't it be obvious to put her dreams before anything else? If she falters at such a small predicament, then maybe she doesn't want to go to a good school as badly as she says she does."

"Exactly!" he said. "If it was true love, then it would've worked out regardless of how long they were apart! If mere distance is enough to destroy your relationship then it's hardly a relationship worth wasting your time over! She should've cut ties with him on the spot!"

Ayano hummed. "I honestly don't understand… I just think that she should focus on her goal and eliminate all hindrances. I see no value in being with that boy, so why bother with it?"

Kizano raised an eyebrow at that but then snorted. "You've never had a boyfriend, have you?"

She blinked at the question. "No..? I've never felt the need to. After all, isn't it a little too early to think about marriage?"

"Marriage..? You're certainly a strange one Aishi-chan." He sweatdropped. "We're not talking about marriage here, just simple dating."

"But don't those two go hand in hand?" Ayano's face scrunched up in confusion. "The purpose of dating is to find a suitable partner, isn't it?"

"My my, you're really not the type to beat around the bush, huh?" he chuckled. "Most of the time, people just date for fun, you know? Sure there may be the intention of being 'together forever' but marriage definitely isn't considered until later on. Think of it as a free trial to marriage."

"Wouldn't it be better to deal with such things later on? It seems like such a hassle right now."

"Well, some people are just impatient, I suppose."

Ayano looked at him in the eye. "Are you one of those people, Sunobu-senpai?"

"Hm?" the question caught him off-guard.

"I'm just curious."

"… Well, no. To be honest, I think love is completely off the table for me."

"Why?" she frowned. "You're a nice companion, so I don't think it would be hard for you to find someone. "

"A nice companion..?" he asked. "Shouldn't you rather say it's because of my good looks? I am, after all, irresistible."

And with that, he sent her his most charming smile which would've made even the Queen of England swoon.

Ayano, however, was not the Queen of England.

"I'm sure that if we are to base it all off on physical looks, you'd rank high in the scale of desirability which is why most of the school's female population is losing their minds over you." She said, ignoring his statement completely. "But as someone who's actually managed to spend time with you, I'd say your attractiveness would just be, as they say, the icing on the cake."

She took a sip of her cappuccino before continuing on. "I think that whoever your future partner will be, they'll be quite lucky."

Kizano blinked and, unexpectedly, blushed. Even Ayano was surprised at his expression at that moment.

"Wh-what..? You managed to say that when you flat out rejected me yesterday?" he scoffed, but couldn't quite help the small smile.

"Rejected..?" she asked, but then remembered their first encounter. "Ah, sorry for being rude. But I didn't know much about you at the time. If we were to go on first impressions, you seemed like a spoilt brat. And, well, you kind of are but there's more to it than that."

"… I appreciate your honesty." Was the only thing he managed to say. "Well, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. A girl like you is probably too busy pursuing her dreams and has no time for relationships."

Ayano paused for a moment. "It's more of I don't see the point of it."

"A predictable response." He smirked.

"So, why is 'love' off the table for you, senpai?"

"Isn't it obvious?" he scoffed. "I've dedicated my life to the theater! And you might not know this, but it's a tough industry, even tougher than any sport you'll find out there. You spend mornings doing a tough work-out regime to keep yourself in shape and afterwards you have to make sure to look presentable before leaving the house, then after school you spend hours on rehearsals. When you get home, after finishing homework, you'll have to memorize pages of lines and practice on your own! That's not even mentioning numerous other things we have to keep track of; our strict diet, social status- which you must maintain, no one will come to your shows if no one knows who you are, after all-trending topics, career opportunities outside of school, there's always so much to do! Of course, I wouldn't have time for meager things such as a relationship!"

"I had no idea being in the Drama Club was so stressful…" she said. Ayano was starting to reevaluate her impression on them.

"Well, it's even more so for me, as the president." He gave a long-suffering sigh.

"I think it's amazing how you manage to keep that all up. I feel like I have a new found respect for you now."

Once she said that, Kizano seemed to sparkle. He smirked before saying; "Well, anybody else would've most likely cracked under such pressure, but to me, this is nothing. If I can't handle this much, there's no way I can ever hope to get into the big leagues!"

"The big leagues, huh?" she muttered, imagining Kizano at a stage even bigger than the one at Akademi High's auditorium; an entire theater filled with an audience from around the globe, each with a prominent background. All of them, clapping at Kizano's outstanding performance and being mesmerized at his gracefulness. It would be amazing. Although Ayano was pretty sure that she didn't want to pursue such a dream herself, she couldn't help but envy Kizano. "That's a good dream."

"What about you, Aishi-chan? What's your dream?" he asked, leaning over with eyes filled with curiosity. It made Ayano sink in her seat a little.

"My… dream?" she muttered, frowning.

She didn't have a great dream like Kizano; she had no idea what she wanted to do with her life. It's the problem she's been despairing over for days.

"I…" she said. Well, whenever she doesn't know what to say, she always prompted to stick with blunt honesty. "I don't really know what I want to do."

"Hm?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "Really? Don't you want to be a doctor or a lawyer or something?"

"Not in particular."

Being a lawyer sounded like a stressful job so it didn't really sound appealing to her; to her, it sounded like being paid to cover up a murder and if someone was stupid enough not to wipe the blood off the floor after stabbing someone, then as far as she was concerned they deserve to go to jail, for being an idiot. On the other hand, it would be too ironic for a hired hitman to end up being a doctor. And she was pretty sure that taking lives was a lot easier than saving them so Ayano was gonna have to pass with that one.

"Oh? Could it be that you're actually not the studious type?"

"Well, personally I believe that I spend an ideal amount of time studying, but I suppose my classmates do consider me as 'the studious type' because of my grades."

"So you're just naturally smart?"

"I'm a fast-learner, but I'd like to say that I put effort in to deserve my academic rank in class."

"Then what motivates you?" he asked, sounding a bit incredulous.

"… Nothing. I just do what is expected of me, I suppose."

He raised an eyebrow. "Doesn't that get boring?"

"... It does actually." she said, unable to look him in the eye when she said this.

Everything has become so dull. So pointless.

So meaningless.

What should she do? Does it even matter anymore? What's her reason to get up in the morning? Why is she like this?

She doesn't know.

Kizano paused for a moment, mulling over her words.

"Well that's no good." he finally said, making her look up to him. "I think I'm starting to understand now- what your problem is."

"My problem..?" she asked hesitantly.

"Aishi-chan." he leaned forward with a serious expression. "Have you ever been in love?"

She frowned. "I don't think so..?"

"That's it!" he said, slamming his hand on the table and standing abruptly. The action made her flinch and certainly caused a few heads to turn. "Tell me, Ayano Aishi, what do you think is the meaning of _life_?"

"L-Life?" she asked, becoming more confused by the second. "... Energy, I suppose? You go on with life until you've run out of energy and then you die..?"

"Wrong!" he said. "The answer is _Love_! With a capital L!"

He was starting to raise his voice even more, and Ayano would tell him to keep his voice down as to not bother the other customers but she was too confused to speak.

"It's what motivates you, keeps you going and is the reason you get up in the morning. Everyone has something they love; their jobs, themselves, money, or even someone important in their life. Love is what keeps you alive, it's why you _want_ to stay alive!" he said. "How can you live life without love?! Without it, life will be dull and meaningless! If you don't love anything, then what _do_ you have? Nothing! You have nothing and you feel nothing. You're empty inside!"

Ayano's eyes widened. What he's saying... It's...

He sat down. "That manga you were asking about earlier..."

"Y-yes?"

"It's no wonder you can't comprehend it. Is there really nothing you cherish in life?" he asked. "Something important to you, something you're willing to _die_ for?"

 _"Haven't you ever had something worth protecting? Worth risking your life over?"_

She clenched her jaw. "... No. Not really."

"Well then, that's your problem, Aishi-chan." he sighed dramatically. "You see, I _love_ the theater, it's why I've dedicated my life to it despite all the hardships I have to go through. And no matter how tougher things get, I won't quit. Because this dedication I have, my love for the theater that's worth dying for, that allows me to feel _alive_."

Ayano was silent.

Kizano could only sigh. "Well, it's none of my business how you live your life. But it's a bit pitiful if you continue on like that, don't you think? If you ask me-"

"Sunobu-senpai?"

Kizano blinked. "... Yes?"

"Can you tell me more about that?" she asked, with a serious expression. "Love?"

Kizano raised an eyebrow but then smirked. "No one knows more about such a thing more than a man of the theater. I'd be happy to."

Ayano was about to speak up again but he suddenly stood up.

"Unfortunately, it's getting quite late so we should leave."

She glanced outside and realized that the sun has set sometime during their conversation.

"Ah, you're right..."

"How about having lunch together with me tomorrow?" he said. "You've proven to be excellent company, and I'm usually just lounging around at the Drama Club room anyway."

"That sounds good." she nodded and he grinned.

"Allow me to walk you home."

"Oh, there's no need."

"I insist, it's quite dangerous for a lady to be out so late at night." he smirked. "The world is a dangerous place, you know."

Oh, he has no idea.

The walk home was filled with more conversation, mostly with Kizano complaining about all the idiocy that has seemingly taken over the media.

Kizano Sunobu was certainly a dramatic person, and anybody else might be embarrassed to be around him for a long period of time because of how loud he can suddenly get or how worked up he can get over things, but he actually has some valuable opinions.

"We're here." she said, stopping in front of her home.

"Nice place." he commented.

"Would you like to come in?"

"Do you offer that to everyone who walks you home?" he smirked.

"I wouldn't be able to answer that since I've never had anyone walk me home before."

"Oh?" he raised an eyebrow. "That's surprising coming from a cute girl like you."

"Cute?" she murmured. "That's a first."

"Hm? Sorry, I didn't catch that."

"It's nothing, be careful on your way home, Sunobu-senpai."

"I will." he grinned. "See you tomorrow, Aishi-chan!"

Going inside, her mind was still filled with her conversation with Kizano.

Emptiness, life, meaning, purpose, _love_.

Maybe there wasn't something _wrong_ with her, after all. There's just something _missing_.

 _Ring._

Ayano snapped out of her thoughts.

 _Ring._

 _Ring._

 _Ri-_

"Hello?"

 _"Ayano? Sweetheart, how are you?"_

"Mother?" she asked, incredulous.

 _"Yep! I called to check up on you, I was going to call earlier this week but... something came up, you understand."_ she laughed sheepishly.

Ryoba Aishi was such a cheerful and bubbly woman that it sometime makes Ayano wonder if she's adopted.

"It's fine, Mother. _I'm_ fine."

 _"That's good, how are things at school?"_

And that's Ayano's cue to give a full report of what happened during the week without missing a detail.

 _"Oh, so you've made friends! That's great, sweetie!"_

"I suppose."

 _"And one of them walked you home today? What's he like?"_

"He has some very strong yet valid opinions."

 _"Do you like him?!"_

Ayano frowned. "He's acceptable company."

She heard her mother sigh from the other line.

 _"Ayano, sweetie, I need you to listen to me, okay? You know I love your father, right?"_

"It's fairly hard to miss."

 _"I know, I know. I'm a hopeless romantic, what can you do? But you know, when I was your age, I was more like you!"_

"Hah?" she asked, pulling back to stare at the phone, wondering for a moment if it was really her mother on the other line.

 _"It's true! But that all changed when I met your father and fell in love!"_

Love...

"... Really?" she whispered, a bit disbelieved.

 _"Yep. Ayano-chan, I know you must feel like something's off about you. As if you're craving for something but not sure what, and let me assure you that that's completely normal._ " Ayano couldn't believe what she was hearing. "In fact, it runs in the family!"

"A-are you serious?"

 _"Yes! So don't worry, okay?"_

For the first time in her life, her mother's voice actually provided her with some type of comfort.

Everything will be alright, she's not a freak. She just has to be patient.

Ryoba chuckled. _"Someday... you'll meet someone who'll fulfill your craving and make you feel complete and alive. When that day comes, you'll finally be able to be **happy**."_

Happiness... huh?

* * *

 **I hope you liked it ~ !**

 **So yeah, last chapter I asked you guys if you can guess if who Info-kun's secretary is. It's not Yui, and when I said 'I know what you're thinking, it's not her.' I was referring to Nemesis. It's not her. XD**

 **If you ask me, Yui is too evil, you know? Like, Info-kun can't trust her because there's always the threat of her backstabbing him. I could probably make her a member of the Info Club (In Japan, I believe you need at least 4 members in order to form a club?) but definitely not Info-kun's most trusted secretary.**

 _ApZl24_ **PMed me and said Robot-chan and in my opinion, it's a good guess and also on the right track. The secretary hasn't been introduced in this story so far, or even mentioned apart from last chapter.**

 **I'll give you a clue, they're like Yandere-chan and Robot-chan.**

 **Was that too vague? I didn't want to give too big of a hint .**

 **Good luck guessing~**

 **I would like you all to know that that scene with the student council was supposed to be longer, but it was borderline 7k words and I really wanted it to end with a phonecall from Yandere-mom. Also, could some PRETTY PRETTY PLEAASSEE make a fanart where Mido and Mujo are sitting side by side, smirking and in a dark room with their eyes seemingly glowing. Because that was the image on my head while I was writing that scene XD**

 **Look forward to the next chapter~**

 **Hopefully next week...**

 **Please review ~ !**

 **~ RnR ~ !**

 **~ RnR ~ !**


	8. Chapter 8

**I really wanted to get this out today and be back with the weekly updates so this chapter is shorter than usually, but hey! 3,077 words not including A/N! Well, I mean sure the word count is half the normal but... yeah, at least I updated! :3**

 **Sorry, I try to be consistent. I'm really trying, thank you all for the support so far! I hope I won't disappoint.**

 **I hope you like it~!**

* * *

Megamo sighed, dumping his book bag onto the couch in his room before sitting down on his bed. It's been a long day, and those inconsiderate excuses for faculty members certainly didn't help alleviate his stress. Honestly, if the situation hadn't been so dire, he would never have tolerated those two even setting foot in his precious school.

His phone rang and he instinctively answered it without checking the caller ID.

"Yes?"

" _President, I've done what you've asked_." The voice of the SC Secretary rang through the speaker. " _You should be receiving an e-mail with all the information I've compiled_."

"Good work; that would be all."

" _Thank you. Have a good night, President_."

He hung up and immediately grabbed his laptop to check his inbox. Nusiya sent him a large file, but he didn't hesitate on opening it and spending a majority of the evening reading through the 50-page report she made.

What he read didn't make him the least bit happy.

Amao was pondering about what he should make for breakfast that morning. He had forgotten to ask Ayano about what type of food she prefers or even her favorites. It's a bit embarrassing to think that despite considering himself to be a magnificent cook(dare he say, chef), he had still neglected to learn such crucial information. Looking back, Amao realized that he did most of the talking and he hardly found out anything about Ayano and berated himself for it. He was supposed to be the senpai! Ayano should be talking to him about her problems, not the other way around.

Still, it was a nice change for him. Despite seeming cold and slightly intimidating, Ayano was a kind girl who was a great listener and an even better future ahead of her if she could just figure out the right path to take.

Amao enjoyed her company, and she's helped him realize a few things too. The least he could do was return the favor by helping her out when needed and maybe even offering a few cakes along the way. She doesn't look like it, but the girl has quite the sweet tooth.

His phone rang, so he grabbed it from his pocket and checked the caller ID.

Speak of the devil.

"Hi, Ayano-chan." He greeted cheerfully. "What's up?"

" _Amao-senpai, I'm sorry but I don't think I'll be able to join you today_."

His smile immediately fell. "Eh? Why not?"

" _Well, I have a lot of things that I need to take care of this morning. So I don't think I'll be able to find the time…_ "

"I see…" he couldn't help but sound a little dejected. "Is there anything you need help with? You know I'm here if you need me, right?"

" _Thank you, but it's nothing to worry about_." She said. " _I'll see you around, Amao-senpai_."

"See you, Ayano-chan. Don't skip meals, okay?"

" _I won't_."

The call ended and Amao found himself sighing.

So it was just him today, huh?

Immediately, he headed to the counter and looked around for ingredients and some inspiration for any type of dish he could create.

He was hoping to make something healthy for Ayano, since eating too many sweets isn't good for her, and Lord knows if she's managing to maintain a well-balanced diet. Although she does seem to have some skills in cooking, he still worries about her health and how she's handling living alone. Sure, she's probably used to it by now but…

"I wonder if she ever feels lonely…" he muttered to himself.

It was a stupid question, surely she does. Amao knew more than anyone that nothing makes you feel better than coming home from a long day at school and coming home to the delicious smell of your favorites being served.

To be greeted by a smile and surrounded by loved ones in a table, being joined together by the tradition of eating with family every night; to be able to feel at home and warm inside by the happy chatter around the table. Has Ayano ever experienced that?

Amao looked around the club room, almost expecting to see the young girl there; quietly eating the food he served and looking at him expectantly, patiently waiting for him to join her. But there was no one there, just the clean table and nobody in the room but him.

Has the Club Room always felt this lonely?

Amao sighed. He's not sure how it ended up like this; he's spent so much time trying to make a home for everyone else that he forgot to build his own.

Staring at the dining table for a moment longer, he went to open the fridge and immediately spotted a pack of hotdogs which made him think for a moment. He usually makes octo-dogs and gives them away during lunch time.

If he walks around later, maybe he can bump into Ayano.

The idea made him smile and he immediately went to work.

* * *

Ayano sighed. She would've preferred having some of Amao's cooking for breakfast, but the blasted SC President just had to be stricter than the Devil's gatekeeper.

She paused once she arrived in front of the SC room because someone was there and she narrowed her eyes.

"Ayano Aishi." The way SC Secretary, Rham Nusiya said her name was somehow unsettling. "The President has been waiting for you."

From what Info-kun had told her, Nusiya was personally hired by Megamo Saikou's father in order to aid him in whatever way possible. She's pretty much settled into the role as his personal assistant. And despite some people looking down on such an occupation, it was actually a smart move considering the amount of power Megamo stands to inherit. If she continued to do a good job, her future is pretty much set.

Info-kun never told Ayano if the girl had any type of background in martial arts, but he constantly warned her to keep contact with the entirety of the student council at an absolute minimum. She took it as a sign that none of the student council members are to be reckoned with. It was rumored, after all that most, if not all, of them has some form of connection with the Saikou family. It wouldn't surprise Ayano if Megamo has filled the SC with his loyal subordinates for the sake of fulfilling his vision for the school.

Ayano only nodded before entering the SC room.

"You're late."

"I doubt it." She said, not missing the way Megamo's eyebrow twitched in annoyance. "You only told me to be here before class starts; by all accounts I'm early."

"Do you make it a habit to dig your own grave?" he scowled.

"No, but I've heard that I have a natural talent at 'unintentionally pissing people off'."

"This is unintentional?" he raised an eyebrow.

Ayano nodded. "I'm not very good at socializing."

"I can imagine." He muttered before closing the laptop in front of him and leaned back on his chair, his expression becoming serious. "What you said to me yesterday, it wasn't just some sick joke now, was it?"

"What do you think?"

"Keep up that tone and I might have to teach you a thing or two about respecting authorities."

"I apologize if my behavior comes off as a bit disrespectful." She said in such an indifferent tone that it was hard for Megamo to believe that it was genuine. "But whether or not I tell you that my words were true or pointless lies, it wouldn't matter unless you completely believe me. And I may be jumping to conclusions here, but you don't seem like the type who would believe in anyone's words easily. So I believe answering your question would simply be pointless."

Megamo raised an eyebrow. "And here I thought you were a woman of a few words…"

"I thought I was too."

He sighed. "We're not getting anywhere with this conversation."

"Can I leave then?"

"No." he said firmly. "Sit down."

Ayano resisted the urge to sigh and instead mutely obeyed, sitting at the opposite side of the table.

"I had my secretary do another background check on the victims."

"How fascinating." She said, somehow managing to sound sarcastic without any shift in her tone.

"I think I found the 'pattern' you were talking about."

"Did you, now?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "Well, it's not that hard to spot."

"All of these people…" he said, crossing his arms. "They are what you would call 'bullies', correct?"

"If you ask me, 'assholes' is the more correct term."

Megamo wisely decided to ignore that. "So whoever is behind this, they're playing some twisted version of Robin Hood, is that what you're saying."

"Possibly."

Ayano wasn't doing this out of any sense of justice though; she was doing it for the money. The more she can save up, the farther away she'll be able to get away from her strange family. And she had also thought that Info-kun would be a valuable ally, so why not?

Megamo scoffed. "How foolish, does the killer think he's fighting for justice through these acts? No matter how you look at it, it's no excuse.

"Of course it's not. But at least now you have a lead."

He sighed. "It would've been easier if he killed these people out of ill will, I would've been able to understand it better too."

Ayano raised an eyebrow. "You would?"

"Of course, although I still wouldn't have put up with it. At the very least I would've been able to understand his motives somewhat; if it were a grudge, envy, or just out of greed. But this?" he scoffed.

"I would've thought that it was the other way around."

"Don't be ridiculous, he could've just reported it to the teachers or to us representatives from the student council. But instead he decided to take this route; he hasn't made anything better just worse."

"Tell a teacher…?" she asked. "What? Are you a kid?"

"Hah?" he asked, narrowing his eyes and obviously offended.

"Telling a teacher would be meaningless if you don't have any evidence, most of the bullying in this school are brushed off as mere pranks that have been taken too far or sometimes are even blamed on the bullied, the true victim. Moreover, most of the victims came from influential families." She said, her eyes becoming cold. "Families who may have helped out and donated to Akademi High and, therefore, have a good relationship with the school's administration."

Megamo's eyes widened and he stood up abruptly, slamming his hands on the table. "Those are some wild accusations that you're throwing."

"Are you going to ask me for evidence of my claims?" she asked. "Go ahead, you'll only prove my point."

Megamo clenched his jaw, trying to surpress his anger at the woman who was clearly questioning his precious school's credibility. On the other hand, Ayano decided to keep talking.

"I'm very familiar with some of the victims." Only some, because the only research she's ever done on her target was figuring out their schedule and when they're alone.

"Chisu Mosa was actually a girl from my class last year, she wasn't anything special; average background, no skills that made her stand out. But she was known for being a gossiper; she liked to talk badly about others. The week before she was killed, she found out that a classmate of ours became homeless and spread it all around the school. People made fun of the poor girl, Perensu Wafayado, because of it."

"Perensu Wafayado…" he remembered that name.

"She committed suicide last year, due to bullying." Ayano said.

Perensu's best friend, who had tried as best as she could to protect Perensu, was completely devastated upon her death and had, of course, seeked revenge. Her request had been to give Mosa a slow, painful death while being made aware of what exactly she was being killed for. Needless to say, Ayano's basement was bloody for days.

She still had the edited version of the video of the week-long torture session which Info-kun had required her to make for their client. She should probably delete that…

"There's also Supoirudu Burato, the boy who ordered first years around like slaves and threatened to have them expelled if they tried to go against him. I'm sure you were familiar with him."

"… He was part of the student council." He spoke through gritted teeth. Not only that, but their fathers were also very close. Saikou Corp. had been working with the Burato Toy Company for decades.

Unfortunately for Burato-kun, he had pushed the wrong person a little too far and ended up being stabbed multiple times with a katana.

"And, of course, the well-known Sonova Bitsu, who was accused of rape not too long ago. His charges were dropped because he was 'an outstanding student' and 'there was no way he could've done such a thing'."

What he did was horrendous, and so the poor girl that became an outcast because of what he did to her decided to take justice into her own hands.

Megamo was silent for a moment, pondering on her words.

"So what exactly are you trying to say?" he asked bitterly. "That the killer is a hero? That he should be praised for delivering justice when we have failed to do so?"

"I'm saying that if you did your job, maybe none of this would've happened." She said.

Her words caused his blood to boil.

"You have some nerve insulting us." He said, not exactly shouting but speaking loud and firmly. The anger was seeping through his voice; anyone else would've begun to feel the tiny hints of fear but Ayano only sat there and let him speak. "In the first place, there's no way of knowing if you're telling the truth. Those people could be completely innocent-"

"If you don't believe me it's fine, but I'm telling the truth." She said. "You can either take it as an insult or an opportunity to learn, there's not a lot of people who have the courage to criticize you and point out your shortcomings. I imagine it can be hard to find ways of improving yourself."

For a few moments, Megamo only silently glared at Ayano who blankly stared back.

"President, all I'm saying is that your system is not as perfect as you think it is." She said. "And that's normal, you should strive for perfection but you should never be assured that you've attained it. Believing so would be nothing short of foolish."

"Also, please don't get me wrong. I am in no way defending the killer, after everything our school has been through and all the crimes he's committed…" she spoke, not once breaking eye contact or changing. "He's nothing but a _**monster**_."

Megamo stayed silent, letting her talk.

"I'd be lying if I said I didn't admire you, out of anyone else in this entire school, even including the teachers, I believe you are the most capable. So if there's anyone who could catch the killer, it's you." She said. "But it wouldn't do if you focused solely on this issue and disregard all the others."

"… Yes, I suppose you're right. That just wouldn't do now, would it?" Megamo sighed. "Get out."

She didn't bother to question it and just stood up immediately to leave. But just as she was about to open the door, Megamo spoke up.

"You…" she turned around to face him. "Have you ever considered joining the student council?"

She blinked, a bit surprised. "Can't say I have. Would you even want me around?"

"Not really, but you could potentially become useful in the future. Also, it would allow me to keep an eye on you." He snorted. "You seem like the type to get into trouble."

"I wish I could say I wasn't." she muttered before pausing to think about it. "It does seem tempting…"

The student council was at the top of Akademi High's hierarchy, probably even above the teacher and was filled with students from influential families, those kinds of connections were _priceless_. Moreover, it would allow her to keep an eye on them, especially Megamo Saikou. Similar to infiltrating an enemy's ranks, but of course, there would be downsides to it.

Obviously, Ayano wanted to join other clubs and try things out to figure out the kind of future she'd like to have. But she can't do that if she's a member of the student council. It would also mean taking a huge responsibility and dedicating the rest of her high school days to serving and looking out for other students and she wasn't sure if all that effort was worth the prize. She's seen how stressful it can get for them and she's not too keen on jumping in.

"Well, I just thought that I should ask." He said. "By the way, starting next week you'll be helping out in cleaning the gym after the sports club uses it."

"Huh?" she frowned.

"Your punishment for staying at school late." He clarified, making her frown deepen.

"Until how long, exactly?"

"Until I'm convinced that you've learned your lesson." He said. "Now go."

She looked like she really wanted to object but decided against it and instead bowed before taking her leave.

Megamo sighed. That girl's a nightmare to deal with.

But still… he opened his laptop once again to view Nusiya's report. He'd be lying if he said he didn't find her interesting.

Megamo made a mental note to keep a close eye on her. His father had always told him to be on the look out for people with potential, after all.

* * *

"Aishi-san?"

Ayano looked up from fiddling with her phone- she was about to contact Info-kun but then remembered that she wasn't supposed to- and saw her classmate.

"Ah, good morning, Horuda-san."

"Good morning." She replied in a bored voice. "Is everything alright? You seem troubled…"

"Ah, I'm fine… Thank you for asking." Ayano said, putting away her phone. "You're fairly early, aren't you?"

"Club activities." She said. "May I ask why you are here so early?"

"… No reason." She said.

"I see… Well, please take care. It's not safe to go around school alone, you know?" Horuda started walking away. "It's been very dangerous lately…"

"Yes…" she nodded, glancing back at the student council room. "And it's about to get even more so…"

* * *

 **Yeah, not a lot happened. But I still hope you enjoyed it ~ ! Maybe I should stick with shorter chapter after all, it'll be easier to manage publishing a chapter a week that way :/ Well, I'll still try to make it longer next week. If I don't, please know that I tried!**

 **I promise I'll update again next week! Also, a guest asked who Ayano will end up with. Right now, Megamo's winning. But here's a friendly reminder that the pole is still a thing! ^_^ So go ahead and vote!**

 **I also just want to point out that this story was supposed to be a funny story revolving around Ayano's harem but for some reason, it turned kinda dark... Sorry about that. But I promise the harem stuff is gonna come soon! Tell me what you think about it though, because at first I just thought that it would be nice to have a plot along with all the harem-ness and romance. But I feel like I kinda derailed somewhat. You guys seem to be enjoying it though? Idk, but are some of you feeling like you're not getting what you clicked this story for? Maybe I should also change the summary...**

 **Another note, this chapter is happening on a thursday. So yeah :3 We're almost at the end of the week ~**

 **BTW, it's not Kuudere.**

 **Anyway, Please review ~ !**

 **~ RnR ~ !**

 **~ RnR ~ !**


	9. Omake: That Guy

**Yo! So here's my sorta-update! I say sorta because it's an omake ^^" 3,101 words not including A/N :3 Pretty good, all things considering.**

 **So listen, here's the thing, I stay at a dorm for five days a week and there's no internet there. So I only have a chance to upload a new chapter in the two days that I come home. But the thing was, I was busy this past week so I was not able to finish the chapter for this week. There's barely anything in it! . Sorry about that... But I was gonna try and update anyway but writer's block got me. And I had to leave at around 3PM with a chapter that isn't even half done with Writer's Block deciding it's the perfect time to strike so I decided.**

 **You know what, I'm not gonna finish this chapter on time. But I can't NOT update because I promised I would! . So here's an omake instead. I hope you like it ^^" It helped beat the Writer's Block and was incredibly fun to write, it's also a lot longer than I expected. I thought that 1K words would be enough, since I only started writing this today but I was struck by inspiration so here ya go!**

 **Also, concerning last chapter, some of ya'll spotted the names XD And yeah, I'm Filipino. Chisu Mosa = Chismosa which means gossiper. And also, for those who didn't get it Perensu Wafayado = Parents were fired. It was a poor attempt but I tried XD It was loads of fun too. YanDev has that sort of naming convention so I decided to do the same with this fic. If you notice, the teacher that Mido Rana is substituting for, Puru Fessa = Professor.**

 **HAHAHAHAHAHA, I try.**

 **Didn't have time to proofread this btw so please forgive me for any mistakes.**

 **Anyway, I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

The Aishi family was a pain in the ass.

Granted, they were the fastest and most reliable people you can find but it didn't change the fact that their methods are questionable and more often than not, they tend to be unpredictable. I've found myself, in multiple occasions, sporting a headache because of what they've considered to be 'not a big deal'. It also didn't help that being a trouble magnet just seemed to run in their blood. I don't know how that's possible but it's the only logical explanation for all the bullshit they get themselves into.

A lot of times, I wonder if it would be better to cut all ties with them instead of putting up with any more of their insanity. But no, the Boss' word is law and I would follow him to hell if I was ordered to. It's just that the demons of hell might actually be a pleasant company compared to the women of that family.

"What?" I asked, incredulous.

" _I'm so sorry for the trouble! But I don't really know who else to call and I'm worried about my little girl._ " Ryoba Aishi spoke in that sickeningly sweet tone that always annoyed the crap out of me. Anyone else would have probably found her to be kind and caring, but you take on a whole new perspective after you've seen her dismember someone with that same bright smile that she gives everyone.

"I'm a busy man, Aishi! I don't have time to babysit!"

" _It's not like I'm asking you to babysit_." I could practically hear her pout. " _I just want you to check up on her, we had to leave so suddenly that I didn't really get the chance to make sure she'll be fine_."

"Where the hell did you go, anyway?" I scowled. "Boss didn't send you on a job, so what gives?"

" _Oh, it's nothing~_ " she giggled. " _Just a little_ _ **family**_ _matter that needed to be taken care of_."

I couldn't help the shudder that ran down my spine, God this woman was terrifying.

At first glance, the Aishi family might just be your typical nuclear family; a hard-working father, a devoted and loving mother, and a bright daughter, nothing to see and nobody worth noting. But in truth, they've been a renowned family in the underground world for generations. They're skilled but aloof, they didn't like taking orders from anybody so being allied with one, or better yet, having one work for you was considered as a sign of power.

It was the only reason why my Boss put up with them.

They were also a mysterious bunch; never after money or fame- which they just managed to naturally gain it. Nobody knows what they're really after, and that's what makes them more terrifying. They're a wild card, one day an entire group could be completely annihilated without knowing why. It's happened multiple times before.

I sighed. "When will you be back? I think the Boss has a job for you."

" _Oh my, well I'm afraid that's gonna have to wait_." She said. " _It might take a while for me to wrap things up. You know how I get with these things_."

"Yes, I do." I grumble.

" _Oh, don't be such a whiner. I just want you to stop by and see how my baby's doing every once in a while. I'm sure she can handle herself but that doesn't stop a mother from worrying, you know_."

"Yeah, yeah. I get it." I sigh. "You owe me for this, Aishi."

" _Yes, yes~. I'll be sure to pay you back tenfold_." She giggled again. " _Well, I need to go. My husband's probably getting lonely without me. Take care, Ya-kun!_ "

"Tsk." I hung up, almost growling from that accursed nickname. Checking my watch, I decide that I might as well head to the Aishi residence. Got nothing better to do anyway.

When I got there, I'm surprised at the sight that I was greeted with.

Ryoba's kid, Ayano had just arrived with a boy around her age.

"See you tomorrow, Aishi-chan!" I hear him say.

I raise a brow, well this is interesting.

Ryoba told me to look after her daughter, and sure I was only told to check up on her periodically, but I pride myself of being thorough so I follow the boy home to make sure he's harmless. Since I was a pro, he never even realized that someone was following him until he came home. It was a simple house; the address wasn't ringing any bells. It was still well within our territory and no one note-worthy in our line of work lived anywhere near it. But I still filed the address in my memory for future reference before heading back to check on Ryoba's kid.

I wasn't really fond of kids so I didn't know the girl all that well, but it was obvious that she wasn't a social butterfly and that she had trouble getting along with kids her age. But then again, with a mother and family history like that, it would be surprising if she did. So it's a little bit strange to see her being walked home by a boy.

Granted, she is in that age where she'll be interested in the opposite gender but she always struck me as the type who could care less about things like that. But I could be wrong, Aishis are generally unpredictable. But still, that boy called her by her last name so they're not really close yet. So he's a suitor then?

I couldn't help but snort, that boy has no idea what he's getting himself into. To this day, I still feel sorry for that poor bastard who ended up marrying Ryoba. He was a civilian, but since marrying that deranged woman, he became exposed to our world. To be honest, he seems more like a hostage instead of a husband. The guy's obviously afraid of his wife and he has every right to be.

Well, it's none of my business anyway.

I arrive at their home and didn't hesitate on coming in. Ryoba gave me a spare key since I'm the one whose usually sent to meet her and I've been labeled under the category 'family friend'.

I walk in and smell something heavenly being cooked in the kitchen but from where I stood, I can see that nobody was there.

"Oh, it's just you." Ayano walked into view and I decided to ignore the knife she had on her hand. "You could've knocked."

"I don't want to bother with small crap like that, brat." I said, removing my coat and taking a seat on the sofa, making myself comfortable.

"My mother told me that you'll be stopping by today, so I cooked dinner for the both of us. It's not done yet though." She said, and I waved it off.

"I'd say that you didn't have to but considering that I'll be looking after you for a while, I'll have to say that it's the least you can do."

"I'm not sure if this has escaped your notice, but I'm no longer a child. I'm fully capable of taking care of myself, so you don't need to bother yourself."

"Yeah? Well, tell that to your mom and we can both be happy."

She didn't reply and instead headed to the kitchen to finish cooking. In the meantime, I pulled out my phone and checked my emails. In the midst of it, my mind wanders and I start to look around the cozy home, unable to stop myself from reminiscing.

To be honest, I don't know the details of our Family's alignment with the Aishis since we've apparently been doing business with each other for generations. But I've known Ryoba since I was a child, never did like her but I know her really well, which is why I'm the one always being sent to talk to her. If there's anyone she'll listen to, it'll be me. Not that she often listens to me in the first place.

Looking at her child though, I can't help but think of how similar they are but at the same time so different. I remember Ryoba being cold and calculating as a child, just like her daughter. It always unnerved me back then and I guess that must be the reason why I didn't like her so much. But I don't think it was just that.

It was the way she looked at people.

She always looked bored, as if everything wasn't worth her time and whenever she looked at me- whenever she looked at _anyone_ , really- she always had the same expression.

Utter disdain. It was as if she looked down on everyone and thought of them to be a class below her, as if they weren't worth her time, as if they weren't even human that deserved respect or have any dignity. It was that disdain towards others that allowed her to kill so easily.

But her daughter was another thing, sure she was as apathetic as Ryoba had been and I've heard that she's already been working with someone as a hitman for hire- which I was absolutely appalled by, we had no idea who she worked for so what if she went after one of our own? But Ryoba had completely brushed off my concerns- for almost a year now, but she was different.

She was completely devoid of emotion. Unlike Ryoba who, even back then, had her sadistic tendencies, Ayano was like a blank slate. She does as she's told and what's expected of her with little to no complaint. She has little personality to speak of, Ryoba's practically the one telling her how to live her life and sure I've heard that there were a lot of parents like that, but weren't kids supposed to be rebellious in those cases?

"Dinner's ready." She called and so I stood up to join her.

These Aishi women may be annoying to deal with, but they sure know how to cook. We eat in relative silence before I spoke up.

"So where'd your mom go?"

"She didn't say." She said. "Mother was never the type to share what she knows to me. She still thinks of me as a child."

"Well, you are." I snort.

"I'll have you know that I'm a well-known homicidal maniac in my school, so I think I would consider myself to be quite capable."

"That's not something you should be proud of, you know." I say, but didn't question it any further. "How's school anyway? That whole homicide thing cause you any trouble yet?"

"A little bit…" she admitted. "The school administration has been taking drastic actions lately, so my employer has advised me to steer clear until further notice."

"Makes sense." I said. "So what'll you do until then? Probably gonna be boring with nothing to do after school, huh?"

She paused. "I don't think so… I've started being more open about things lately."

"Huh?" I raise an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"I've joined the Gaming Club earlier this week." She admitted.

"Gaming Club, huh?" I snort. "Now that I think about it, I think I heard from your mother that you stay up late sometimes playing those games of yours."

"It's not a problem, just a simple hobby." She shrugged. "It's useful to know the latest trends. It helps me fit in."

"Heh, I guess that's the main concern for kids your age, huh?" I said, although I don't remember Ryoba ever being concerned with such things. "So how's that going for you?"

"… Pretty well, actually." She said, hesitantly. "I've… made friends."

"Huh? Really?" I asked, feeling my eyes go wide. "Well, that's good."

She nodded. "It's a bit challenging sometimes, but I manage."

"Oh, don't worry about that. Having friends can mean a lot of drama, you know. You just have to find the ones worth sticking around for." I say, reaching a hand out and ruffling her hair. "So just hang in there, brat."

She got a little flustered but didn't say anything and continued eating. I did the same. We sat in comfortable silence for a while before she spoke up again.

"Yaku-san?"

"Yeah?"

"How will I know when someone is 'worth sticking around for'?"

I raise an eyebrow but her eyes were glued on her food bowl.

"That's for you to decide, brat." I say. "You're a smart kid, you'll know when they are."

"You think so?"

"Yeah." I say. "You just gotta believe in yourself more. You're a serial killer, for Christ's sake and you're probably gonna grow up to be as terrifying as your mom. Have some confidence."

She snorted. "What if I don't want to though?"

"Huh?"

"What if I don't want to be like my mother?"

Ah, there's the teenage rebellion. I think about it for a moment before asking. "Does your mom know that you don't want to?"

"No." she says. "I'm not looking forward to how she'll react."

I snort. "Yeah, that's gonna be tough."

"It will…" she was silent, and I stare at her for a moment before I make up my mind.

"Hey, in the end, you're in control of your life. No one can tell you what to do with it." I say. "Your mom may not agree with you, or maybe she will, you never know. But in the end, it doesn't really matter now, does it? She doesn't own you; it'd be good for you to stand up to her from time to time."

"But I don't know what I want to be." She said. "I just know that being a professional assassin… Isn't very appealing."

"You're in high school, right? What year?"

"Second."

"Then you don't _have_ to know what you want to do with your life, you're still young. You have all the time in the world to decide." I said. "Besides, does anyone _really know what they want in the first place?"_

She frowned, making me sigh.

"Listen, kid, if you want some advice; don't sweat the details too much. Life is about not knowing what the fuck's going on and trying not to die horribly, but in the end we all die anyway so fuck it. Just follow your heart, at least then you won't have any regrets."

She was silent, then nodded and resumed eating. We didn't talk anymore after that.

"Well, you have my number right?" I ask as I pick up my coat after we finished eating. "If you need anything, just give me a call. I'll stop by again next week to see how you're doing so try to stay outta trouble."

"I will." She said before bowing. "Thank you for your concern."

I sigh.

"Well," I reach out and ruffle his hair again. "See you around, kid."

It was actually nice to know that she's made friends; it meant that she was actually able to get along with kids her age, which was relieving. It at least means that I won't have to deal with a second Ryoba.

As I was walking away from the house, I found myself looking back one last time.

I may not like kids all that much but… I think that one's starting to grow on me.

* * *

I got back to my boss' home, he asked to meet me tonight. I'm still a bit early though, so I decided to take a stroll around. He lived in a traditional, Japanese-style home with a huge garden that provided a nice refreshing view along with the cold breeze of the night. Nothing's more relaxing than this…

From the corner of my eye though, I spot a head of blond hair standing in the middle of the garden and immediately recognize who it was.

"Young master!" he turns around to face me. "Is anything wrong?"

"Nothing, just need some peace and quiet." He mumbles, just loud enough for me to hear."

"Are you sure?" I asked worriedly. "If there's something bothering you, please don't be afraid to ask me anything."

"Yeah, yeah." He sighs. "You better get to dad; I think he has something he wants to talk to you about."

"I see, well then please excuse me." I bow. "Try not to stay out for too long Young Master, you might catch a cold."

He waves me off and I take my leave.

Now there's another kid that had started to grow on me. I was completely loyal to my Boss, and he trusted me with his and his family's life in return. So sometimes I was tasked to look after his son, which wasn't so bad since he didn't give me that much trouble. He might seem aggressive but he's a really good kid.

I heard that he was quite a rebel at school though, but I don't really care. Kids will be kids, after all. And if those uptight teachers can't handle it then they're not qualified to teach the Young Master in the first place. Besides, I'm grateful to my boss for looking after me all these years and I'm also grateful to the Young Master since he was looking after my little brother at school so I'm willing to back him up for anything.

The Young Master was strong and had great potential; he'd be a fine Yakuza Boss someday and it would be an honor to serve him.

Now that I think about it, the Young Master is around Ayano's age, and they also go to the same school. I wonder if they've met…

I scoffed. Nah, I doubt it.

I make my way to the Boss' office and knocked.

"Come in."

I did and I was greeted with the sight of my Boss, surrounded by multiple bodyguards as per usual. But something was off; he had a grave expression which made me worry.

"Something wrong, Boss?"

"It's probably nothing, but I need your thoughts on this, if you don't mind."

"Of course." I bowed. "I'll help in any way I can."

Because I have devoted my entire life to serving this man, his family, and everything he's worked hard to achieve. I live for his goals and I will die for his ideals. If someone tries to get in his way or tries to harm him or anything and anyone he holds dear, I won't hesitate to eliminate them.

Because in my eyes, he's the strongest and no one deserves to be at the top but him.

He's the Yakuza Boss that rules over this entire town; Okashira Shidesu.

* * *

 **Hope you liked that Omake! This happened the night before the last chapter, by the way. And yes, I wrote this because I was inspired by YanDev's recent video, his name is Yaku-san XD Credits to that guy in the comments, don't really remember.**

 **I'd like to think of Yaku-san as a sort of father figure to Ayano. He won't appear that often though, so if you don't like his character don't worry. He's not that significant to the plot, just a supporting character who'll do what he'll have to do. And also for fluff purposes probably. :P**

 **I tried this POV style but I think I like my style better, I think it's more flexible you know? Or maybe I'm just too used to it, idk.**

 **Also, guest reviewer** _Kim_ **asked "** Does she view them as genuine friends though? **" which I think is interesting. (Thank you for the review by the way, and that goes for the rest of you too. I love you all) The thing is, Ayano doesn't really understand the concept of friends, to her friends are people you occasionally hang out with and can ask for favors. So yes, Ayano does see them as 'friends' but she lacks the genuine part, I guess?**

 **Thank you all for your support so far, but I'm afraid I have some bad news.**

 **I'm going on hiatus.**

 **Only for a while though, because exams are coming up and I've made a goal for myself that I need to at least be ranked 3rd. High goal, I know. But the point is, I really want to do well . So yeah, I'm gonna be super busy and probably won't be able to post for a while. It's part of the reason why I was so adamant with getting this out there in time. That, and also becaUSE I PROMISED DAMMIT, JEN GET IT TOGETHER.**

 **Ahem.**

 **So, I hope you understand. I'll be back by the beginning of next month with a new chapter so please be patient!**

 **Next chapter: September 3.**

 **I hope you continue to support this fic and wish me luck on my exams. I know some of you will probably be disappointed but hey, at least I didn't disappear off the face of the Earth suddenly like last time! So, see you then.**

 **Please review ~ !**

 **~ RnR ~ !**

 **~ RnR ~ !**


	10. Chapter 9

**I'M BACK :D AND PRETTY LATE TOO QAQ 4,500+ words not including A/N :3**

 **SO SORRY**

 **I'll stop talking so we can get on with the chapter.**

 **ENJOY~!**

* * *

Taeko yawned, making her little brother frown.

"You didn't have to come with me, you know." Hanako frowned. "You don't usually get up this early, what if you fall asleep in class?"

"It's fine! After all, who knows what sort of trouble you can get into." She frowned as she rubbed her eyes. "I'm not going to let you out of my sight any time soon, especially after what happened yesterday."

Hanako blushed. "Th-that was just bad luck! It's not like it's gonna happen again…"

"Yeah, yeah. Well, just to be sure." She said. "Why did you want to get to school so early anyway?"

"A-ah, w-well I…" he blushed harder. "I made some rice balls for Aishi-senpai as thanks and I thought she seemed like the type to be early for school so…"

"Oh? That's good then!" Taeko beamed. "It's important to show your gratitude; you've actually become quite mature, Hanako."

"Wh-what's that supposed to mean?" he pouted.

"Nothing~" she giggled.

"Oh? You're early, Ko-chan."

They turned around to see the Gardening Club president and Taeko's best friend, Uekiya Engeika, smiling at her club member with a pot containing a sunflower on her hands.

"Ah, good morning Ki-chan." She beamed. "My brother wanted to come to school early today."

"I see." She nodded before smiling at Hanako. "Good morning, Hanako-kun."

"Good morning, Engeika-senpai." He muttered with a rather forced smile.

"Oh, you don't have to be so formal." She giggled. "Just call me Uekiya, or just Kiya for short."

"No… That would be rude of me." He said, his posture shifting.

"Nonsense. You're Ko-chan's little brother, after all." She said. "Ah, by the way, Ko-chan. Are you busy right now?"

"Hm? Why?"

"I'm moving some plants up to the rooftop. It's a little project for our club since it could use a little more personality, you know? I could really use the hand."

"Oh? I haven't heard about that." She raised an eyebrow.

"It was the President's idea."

"Saikou-san?" Taeko's eyes widened.

"Yes, I was surprised too. He messaged me last night and presented the idea, he said it might help brighten up the school even if just a little bit. I thought it was a marvelous idea and couldn't wait, so I got here early to get started on it right away." She grinned.

"Mou! You could've messaged me about it!" Taeko pouted.

"Sorry, I guess I got excited with the idea." Uekiya giggled. "I spent the rest of the night planning what kind of flowers I'd put."

"Obviously bright ones, daisies are out of the question since the rooftop is already so bland. Oh! We should put some goldenrods and edelweiss!"

"I don't think anyone but our club members would be able to appreciate that little reference."

The two girls continued to chat and giggle happily, almost completely forgetting about the younger boy who was frowning as he watched their interactions. He eventually got fed up with it.

"You go ahead, Nee-chan. I'll be fine on my own."

Taeko was a bit startled when he suddenly spoke up, reaffirming the fact that she completely forgot he was there.

"Ah, that's right. Ki-chan, can you wait for a bit? I just want to accompany Hanako for something."

"Sure." She smiled. "I don't mind tagging along."

"Really? That looks a bit heavy though." Taeko frowned.

"No, don't worry about it."

"No, you don't have to." Hanako cut them off. "Nee-chan, you go on ahead. I'll be fine, really."

"But Hanako, it's too dangerous." His sister's frown deepened.

"I'll be _fine_." He said. "After I'm done, I'll head straight back to my room. Some of my classmates should already be there. No detours, I promise."

Taeko seemed skeptical so Hanako continued. "You don't have that much time left until class starts anyway, so you better get started on getting those flowers."

"Well, I guess you're right. But remember to stay out of trouble okay?" she ruffled his hair.

"I _will_." He said, exasperated.

"Bye, Hanako-kun." Uekiya waved.

"Let's eat lunch together, okay? Just wait for me at your classroom."

"Okay…" he said and watched them go before sighing.

The reason he came to Akademi High was to be able to spend more time with his sister. In the past, Taeko would play with him, help him with his homework and just overall spend time with him. It's what made her the best sister in the world.

But ever since she started going to high school, she started to spend less time with him. At first he didn't mind, since he's always heard how hard high school can be. But he realized that schoolwork wasn't the only thing that's been occupying her time. She would spend hours texting or on the phone with her friends after school and during weekends, she sometimes went out with them. In the past, it bugged him how Osano would drag his sister out of the house but Hanako quickly realized that he had had it easy with his sister's childhood friend. Osano at least didn't make him feel left out whenever he decided to accompany the two.

Their mother told him that it was normal, his sister was a teenager so it was natural for her to go out and experience things with her friends and just have some girl time. But Hanako wasn't happy with it. Call him selfish, but he wanted his sister all to himself. After all, no one would ever care for him, love him as much as Nee-chan does.

So he begged his parents to transfer him to Akademi High despite how dangerous it has rumored to have become. He had thought that maybe, if he could manage to be in the same environment as his sister, then maybe things can go back to how it was before.

Hanako's frown deepened. It looks like he had been wrong.

"Oh? Are you lost?"

Hanako snapped out of his thoughts when someone spoke up to him. Looking up, he found himself facing a girl with purple hair styled in twin-drills and one with short red hair.

"I haven't seen you around here before, are you new?" the girl with purple hair asked.

"A-ah. Yes! I'm a first year student and I just transferred here yesterday." He said, bowing deeply. He could feel his ears begin to tint red.

"Hah? What's a first year doing here?" the red-haired girl scoffed.

"Don't be so harsh on him, Yui-chan." The purple haired girl sighed before turning back to Hanako. "My name's Kokona Haruka, and technically your senpai. This is Yui Mio, you have to forgive her for being a bit…"

She trailed off but Hanako could tell that she had no intention of finishing her sentence. "My name is Hanako Yamada, it's nice to meet you."

"If you want we can show you around, it's not like we have anything better to do anyway." She offered.

"Ah, it's alright! I'm actually looking for someone." He said, and only at that moment realized that he had no idea where Ayano's classroom was. "Um, could you please tell me where Class 2-1 is?"

"2-1?" Kokona asked, putting a finger to her lips as she pondered.

"It's down the hall to the left." Yui answered for her.

"Ah, thank you!" he bowed again. "Well then, if you'd excuse me."

He walked off, practically speed-walking.

"I think you might have scared him a bit, Yui." Kokona said when he was out of earshot.

Yui only scoffed.

When Ayano climbed the stairs to the second floor, the first thing she saw was Taeko Yamada's younger brother standing in front of her classroom. He looked like he was about to go in when he spotted her.

"Aishi-senpai!" he called out before running to her.

"Hanako-kun? Is something wrong?" she asked, inwardly hoping to be able to get away from him as soon as possible. Her homeroom teacher was waiting, after all.

"U-um… I wanted to thank you for yesterday so…" Hanako couldn't help but blush when he handed her a Tupperware. Ayano took it and only then realized that she only had one loaf of bread for breakfast.

"Thank you."

"I-I'm not sure if you'll l-like it… I-I made it myself! Last night- I didn't really know how to repay you and I thought that food was the best way to go. But I didn't really know what you like, and Nee-chan didn't know either. To be honest, I don't really know why I decided to make rice balls but…" Hanako realized that he was starting to ramble. "I-I hope you like them!"

To his surprise, Ayano opened the Tupperware and took a bite out of it.

"It's good." she immediately said.

"R-really?!" it had been his first time making rice balls and it took him three tries to get it right.

To be honest, the rice balls weren't that great. The rice was a bit overcooked and he accidentally used sugar instead of salt. But Ayano thought it best not to mention that fact. The food was edible, and it's not like she was a picky eater. Although the rice ball only made her crave Amao's cooking even more.

"Yes." Only because she didn't really _hate_ sweet things though.

"Th… that's great. I'm really glad you liked it!" He sighed and practically glowed with happiness. Ayano only shrugged and continued eating the rice ball.

"Where's your sister by the way?" she asked, looking around. "Are you alone?"

She had figured that after yesterday's incident, the girl would know better than to leave her brother unattended. Apparently not though.

Strange enough, his mood shifted although her kouhai still managed to force out a smile.

"Ah, she's helping her friend out with some club project or whatever…" he said.

"… I see."

It didn't take a genius to realize that something must've happened between the Yamada siblings that made the younger boy a bit depressed. Now normally, Ayano couldn't give two shits in a pan about whatever was going on in some person that she's only known for a day's life. But this was her kouhai and supposedly, as his senpai, she had the responsibility to look after him to the best of her ability.

The problem, though, is quite obvious. Ayano, for the lack of a better term, is emotionally retarded. She didn't understand the concept of empathy, so providing comfort is a completely foreign concept to her.

' _Shit, what do I do_?' she thought. Hanako was frowning and seemed to be lost in his thoughts which gave her time to think. ' _Alright, you can do this, Ayano. Just calm down and think this through. Now… what's the best action to take in this situation_?'

…

Ayano stretched an arm out to ruffle his hair. She remembered whenever Amao or Aso did this to her and it felt good… probably even comforting. Maybe it was just generally a thing that senpais are supposed to do? In any case, she did this to him yesterday and he didn't seem to _hate_ it so...

Hanako seemed a bit startled at the gesture but didn't back away from her touch, which she took as a good sign.

"Thank you…" she said, awkwardly. "For the food. I…"

She wasn't really sure what to say.

"I hope I can taste some of your cooking again someday." is what she decided to say.

"E-eh?" he blushed. "Was it really that good?"

"… Yes." She said. It wasn't _that_ good, but hey, whatever made him feel better.

"O-oh." He couldn't help but smile, his gaze falling to the ground in a bashful manner.

"Also…" he looked up to see her smiling face. "If you ever need anything… I'm here, alright?

…. Or something? Was that good enough? Ayano wasn't sure but hopefully he got what she was trying to say and if she's fortunate enough, she won't ever have to go through something like this again. God, being nice was hard. No wonder the world was filled with assholes.

He blushed harder. "Y… yes. Thank you, Aishi-senpai!"

"Call me Ayano."

"Eh?"

"It's fine, isn't it?" she shrugged. Both Amao and Aso had told her to call them by their given names on the first day that they met. "Just Ayano is fine."

"… Ayano… senpai." He muttered hesitantly.

"There you go." She gave him another smile and couldn't help but be reminded of Osano. He often got red too, maybe there was a bug spreading around in their neighborhood? She would have to ask Mujo about it later.

"You should head back to your class." She said. And she should meet up with her teacher. "… Do you want me to walk you to your room?"

Pleasesaynopleasesaynopleasesaynopleasesaynopleasesayno-

"Oh, no need! I don't want to trouble you more than I already have!" he said.

' _YES!_ '"Are you sure?" she asked, frowning a bit.

"Yes! Please don't worry about me." He beamed. "Well then, have a good day, A-Ayano-senpai!"

She nodded. "Have a good day."

* * *

"Hm? Yui-chan? What are you doing over there?"

" _Nothing_."

* * *

Oko was stalking the Basu sisters again once he arrived at school; he had made a record of his knowledge of their daily routine which allowed him to be more inconspicuous. Knowing where they'll go allowed him to find hiding spots beforehand, although his record was still incomplete. He couldn't help but think of the possibilities if he had their full schedule.

He decided to spend more time on completing his record so he left the two alone and headed to the library.

The two sisters spent a lot of time together, but they obviously didn't go to the same class and they also tended to part ways when going home. Inkyu was the type to go straight home while on the other hand, Sakyu liked to spend time with her friends. During lunch, they often go to the roof. It's where they always hang out and chat, and it's always at the same place. But Inkyu likes to stop by at different club rooms before meeting up with her sister. This only started recently, so maybe she became interested in joining a club?

Oko poured all his knowledge into the notebook that he bought specifically for the purpose of storing this type of information. But somewhere along the lines, his mind started to wander.

This was much more effective than stalking the two endlessly. He really should've done this a long time ago. He's thankful that Ayano gave him this advice.

Ayano…

She texted him last night, saying that she couldn't find the book so she wouldn't be able to give it to him that day, but that she would keep on looking. Oko was touched that she would exert effort for someone like him. It surprised him that she would. Actually, a lot of things about her surprised him; how she didn't find him that strange, how she didn't seem to be bothered by him or even tried to avoid him, how she was willing to help him out without asking for anything in return, how thoughtful she was, how she said she enjoyed his company because no one has ever made him feel wanted before. That's why he made the Occult Club, he wanted to let others, people like him, feel like they at least belong somewhere. Through that, he's gained the respect of his club members.

But Ayano was different. She wasn't a member of his club, so there was no reason for her to talk to him. No one outside his club members talked to him unless it was absolutely necessary.

Why did someone like her approach someone like him? Sure, she was a bit of a loner, kinda like him. But she was smart and also very cute. She could be one of the popular students if she wanted to, so then why? It didn't make sense at all to him. Ayano Aishi was a complete mystery, even more so then any paranormal entity he's been investigating since entering high school.

Oko didn't realize when he stopped writing about the Basu sisters and just started staring blankly at the the half-filled page of his notebook. For some reason, he wasn't in the mood to study about the Basu sisters today. A certain girl is too busy occupying his thoughts and he couldn't help the urge to go see her, but worried that suddenly showing up in her classroom with no real reason would scare her off.

So instead, he turned his notebook and flipped open the very back page and started writing.

 _Ayano Aishi_

 _Class 2-1_

 _Member of the Gaming Club_

* * *

"Hm?" Sakyu scanned their surroundings, stepping away from her and her sister's spot to seemingly look for something- or rather, someone.

"Is something wrong, Aneki?" her little sister, Inkyu asked.

"Oko-san isn't here." She said.

"Hm?" she frowned. "You mean, that weird occult guy who's always following us around?"

Inkyu looked around, thinking that the guy has probably just found a better hiding place or something.

"Eh? You're right." She said, looking just as surprised as her sister. "Maybe he got sick?"

"No, he looked fine earlier." Sakyu frowned.

The sisters were well aware that they were being stalked at school by a strange boy. He was kind of hard to miss, after all. Inkyu was creeped out about this and had wanted to tell the guidance councilor about it. But Sakyu stopped her, saying that they should just ignore him since no harm was being done. She honestly found it cute, how dedicated he was on following them around. What girl _doesn't_ want to be showered with attention, after all?

Sakyu knows that Oko was the president of the Occult Club, and she's also aware that there's a rumor going around the school that she and her sister were vampires. She found it really funny and took pleasure on the dedication Oko showed in stalking them.

But now, he wasn't here.

"I wonder what happened to him…" she muttered.

* * *

Kizano woke up in a good mood that day. His morning was filled with smiles to the point that it slightly disturbed his father, while his mother was just happy to see him so cheerful. After going through his morning routine, he was off on his way to school a full hour before class starts which was normal. He was a Club President after all, he had responsibilities that other students didn't have. It was tiring sometimes, but he wouldn't give it up for the world.

Even on his way to school, he was still overly cheerful although he wasn't entirely sure why.

Yesterday was quite strange, he came across a kouhai who he had perceived to be one of those tasteless, plain critics who would never be able to appreciate art. Granted, that opinion was based on a first impression and he really should've known better than to judge someone based on appearances.

The girl, Ayano Aishi, was actually really nice. She, surprisingly, had very good taste and he was surprised that he actually found himself enjoying her company. She was a woman of a few words, but when she spoke, her words were meaningful which was a change from the kind of girls he was accustomed to being surrounded with. Those girls who were often too loud and talked for the sake of talking made being with Ayano like a breath of fresh air.

 _"As someone who's actually managed to spend time with you, I'd say your attractiveness would just be, as they say, the icing on the cake."_

 _" If we were to go on first impressions, you seemed like a spoiled brat. And, well, you kind of are but there's more to it than that."_

Kizano snorted at the memory, amused with a hint of a blush dusting his cheeks which he would've brushed off as the heat if anyone had asked. Who knew that she could actually be so interesting? What's more...

 _"Can you tell me more about that? Love?"_

That was a strange question no matter how you looked at it, and it's probably not something you asked to someone you just started talking to that day. Did the girl not have any other friends? Probably not, judging from the way the other Drama Club members were talking about her the other day. It's hard to understand why though, she easily agreed to have a bite with him so she's most likely not the type who prefers to be alone or shy. And despite her blunt personality, she's actually quite likeable.

' _Some people just don't know how to appreciate it, I guess_.' he inwardly sighed. He had long ago found out that many people tend to be blind of the truly nice things in the world and take them for granted.

' _Well, lucky for me, I suppose_.' he mused.

This wasn't like the prank that they did the other day, which they only did because they were bored and wanted to amuse themselves. Other people might think so, but this was not the case this time. This time, it's different.

Ayano was different.

"Ah, President!" one of the girls in their club's acting department, a blond girl with foreign blood, immediately greeted him when he arrived at their club room and latched onto him. "Early as always, as expected from our President~!"

He put on his usual fake smile and let out a laugh, not giving any sign of disgust or even discomfort at how the girl was practically groping him.

"Of course! There's no way that I, as your Club President, will disappoint any of my precious members by neglecting my duties. Such a thing is simply unforgivable!"

"Uwah~! You're so cool, President!" she said, blushing.

"Ne~! Why don't you join me for lunch later on? I'm sure you must be _so_ stressed with all these responsibilities." she said with a leer. "Why don't I help you _relax~_?"

This girl, Sora Tiho, has been flirting with Kizano ever since he's gained popularity. He's also heard from rumors that she goes around telling her friends that they would start dating after graduation, and the reason why they can't right now is because being a Club President takes up too much of his time and he doesn't want to neglect her. Many people believe this and say that they would be a great couple.

Kizano only rolls his eyes at that and chose to ignore them since there's no point in stirring up drama. He has no time for romance, and even if he did, there's no way he would _ever_ waste his time on some cheap woman who would open her legs for anyone with an acceptable social standing.

She was a great actress, and that's the only reason why he decided to keep her around. She's a valuable asset to the Drama Club, nothing more and nothing less.

"Ah, please forgive me, my dear. But I'm afraid I have plans." he said, looking a bit distressed.

" _Eh~_? You always refuse my invitation! I'm starting to get lonely, President." she pouted. Kizano could hear the other club members, who also like to arrive early, whisper among themselves.

"There they go again."

"They're really cute aren't they?"

"A shame that the Club President is a busy man?"

"Right? They would be such a great couple!"

"I'm so jealous."

"As expected of the President, Sora's a real catch."

Kizano inwardly scowled. Are they stupid? The girl was absolutely annoying and he had to constantly remind himself that he can't snap at a girl, for both his reputation and his morals. All she has are good looks and acting skills.

Just like him if you think about it.

"I truly apologize, but maybe next time?" he gave her his most charming smile which left her blushing.

"W-well, of course I can understand how busy the President is..."

"Thank you." he said before setting off to do some work.

He was really looking forward to lunch with Ayano...

* * *

"Young Master! Please allow me to escort you to school!"

"Tch, how many times have I told you that it's not necessary?" Osoro scoffed. "I can go by myself."

"... If you wish."

"In any case, what were you talking about with Dad last night?" he asked, features turning serious. "Yaku-san?"

"Ah, it's nothing you need to concern yourself over, Young Master." he said. "There are just some issues that need to be addressed..."

Osoro stared him down for a few moments, knowing that there's more to it than that. But when Yaku-san refused to speak any more than that, he sighed.

"I'm off."

"Ah, by the way, Young Master. We'll send someone to pick you up after school."

"Absolutely not." he said through gritted teeth. "I'm not a child, I can walk home on my own."

"But..."

"What is really going on here, Yaku-san? Don't try to hide things from me, you're terrible at it." he scowled.

"..." Yaku-san sighed after a moment of silence. "I understand, then if you do not wish to be picked up, then at the very least please be careful on your way home."

Osoro hated being out of the loop, he hated it when people hided things from him or lied to him. He had enough liars in his life.

But at the same time, there was really nothing much he could do. If Yaku-san was keeping secrets from him, then it was most likely because he was ordered to by his father. The old man just couldn't comprehend that Osoro was no longer a child.

"... I will." he grumbled, taking his leave.

Yaku-san watched him go until he disappeared behind the gates before the man went off to perform his duties.

* * *

 **I was actually supposed to add Mido here but he's actually the reason why this took so long. MIDO IS SO HARD TO WRITE JFC, and probably because I'm not experienced enough in writing his sort of character :x So I decided, NAH. Imma update this week, THEY'VE WAITED FOR TOO LONG. But I still can't write Mido so he's gonna have to wait and Tada! He's been moved to the next chapter~! :3 I'll do my best for next week T^T**

 **Don't worry~! Because I had Writer's Block for Mido, I had thought- You know what? I'm just gonna get started on the next scene and hopefully that'll get me more inspired and help get rid of WB. It didn't, but that just means that the next chapter is already halfway done :D Look forward to it!**

 **This is the 10th chapter of Mission: Capture Ayano's Heart and I did not expect for so many people to like it so much. Thank you for your continued support despite my constant Hiatuses! . I'll keep doing my best! Also, thank you all for giving your suggestions! I listen to them all and they actually help me piece together the future of this fic.**

 **I had also planned to do something special for the 10th chapter, since it's kinda like a milestone or an anniversary. But I didn't have the time... So expect an Omake next week :3 Or maybe a double upload? I dunno, we'll see ;) but there WILL be an update next week plus something special, as thanks for all your support! Look forward to it ^_^**

 _Thetigerlovecats_ **asked a question in the reviews. And to be honest, the simple question is it makes the writer happy. Like, if you made those octo-dogs and you went around school giving them away. When they say "Oh, thank you! This is really good!" it gives you a sense of fulfillment and it makes you happy. But on the other hand, if people took your octo-dogs, ate them then went about their day without saying anything, giving a comment or even showing any emotion indicating how they thought of your octo-dogs, then you just get anxious, you know? Same thing with fics.  
**

 **Did that make sense? XD**

 **Thank you for the wonderful reviews ~ !**

 **This chapter was supposed to end with the Basu sisters but I thought it was too short so I added Osoro and Kizano. Ya'll said you liked Yaku-san so here's a little scene with him XD By the way, I read in a blog that each chapter and scene should contribute to the plot. And that's what I'm doing here. Every single scene in this entire fic, since the very beginning, has some contribution to the plot. Whether it's to strengthen the relationships between characters, foreshadow events or whatnot, it contributes some way to the story. Although a majority is to give the rivals exposure and to give them more time to fall for Ayano, there may be some things you've looked over. Just throwing that out there.**

 **Anyway, Please review ~ !**

 **~ RnR ~ !**

 **~ RnR ~ !**


	11. Chapter 10

**8,589 words. I have no excuses QAQ**

 **Let's just get right into the chapter~**

* * *

As Osoro was heading to school, his phone beeped, notifying him of a text message. One look at it made him frown.

"What the hell…?" he muttered.

What could that bastard possibly want now?

"Hey boss!" he looked up to see one of his underlings calling out and running to him and he immediately put his phone away.

Honestly, what a pain…

* * *

The door to the classroom opened but Mido didn't have to look up to know exactly who it was. He couldn't help but smirk.

"Good morning, Aishi-san."

"Good morning, Rana-sensei." She said blankly. "I'm sorry if I kept you waiting, I had to stop by the student council room."

He raised an eyebrow at that. "Are you a member?"

"No, the president asked for me."

"He did?" he asked, sounding even more incredulous. She, in no way, seemed like the type to cause trouble.

"I forgot something yesterday, so I came back here to retrieve it. Unfortunately, the student council president was patrolling around that time and caught me."

This made Mido chuckle. "He's a stickler for the rules, that one."

"Yes, I found that out first hand." She muttered, making him laugh.

"Well, he wasn't too harsh on you, I hope?"

"Starting next week, I'll be in charge of cleaning the entire gym until further notice."

"Ouch…" he winced sympathetically. "That's unfortunate, but I have heard that the president here can be quite the disciplinarian. They say that he can be worse than the teachers."

"He is." She said. "Pardon me, Rana-sensei, but about what you wanted to discuss with me…"

"Ah, of course." He chuckled. "You do seem like the type to hate beating around the bush."

"I wouldn't say that I hate it." She said. "I simply value time, is all."

"That sounds like the type of answer I would expect from someone like you."

"Is that so?" she said before remembering something. Considering the fact that she was speaking to a teacher, she didn't see any harm in seeking his advice. "Ah, by the way, the president also invited me to join the student council."

That earned her a raised eyebrow. "Really?"

"Well, he actually asked if I considered joining and sort of implied that I won't be a complete nuisance to have around so…"

Mido chuckled. "Considering the fact that it's coming from that brat, it's very impressive. He must've taken an interest in you. Did you do anything to warrant that?"

' _Brat…?_ ' she wondered but decided not to comment on it. "… I was a bit passive-aggressive, I suppose?"

"Passive-aggressive?"

"I vaguely implied that he was being naïve and foolish." She said.

"Pfft-" Mido covered his mouth to stifle a laugh, but was still shaking from amusement. Ayano only raised an eyebrow, not understanding what was funny. The older man quickly regained his composure, stood up and walked around the desk to stand in from of Ayano and gave her a pat in the head while looking satisfied and amused. "I knew there was something special about you, Aishi-chan."

She didn't comment at the sudden change in honorific and instead prompting to ask; "Special?"

"Yes, I could tell at first glance that there was something about you that sets you apart from other students. Although I can't explain what…"

Ayano didn't tense up, she forced herself not to react to that and fought down her paranoia while reminding herself to be more wary of her teacher. "Isn't it just your imagination?"

Mido smirked, leaning in and this time Ayano did tense up. Her peripheral vision caught sight of a pen on the table which is more than enough to deliver a fatal blow to the jugular but refrained from doing so. He was a teacher and security has increased drastically, even if she did manage to kill him (which was highly unlikely given her knowledge of the required credentials to teach at Akademi High) there was no way she'd be able to get away with it. So she just stared at him with narrowed eyes filled with suspicion, hands ready to block or reach out for that pen at any instant. But he only cupped her cheek, a gesture she was highly unfamiliar with and confused her since she didn't find the physical contact nor the warmth he radiated unpleasant.

She felt her expression morph into confusion, and in return Mido looked more amused than before.

"Oh, trust me, Ayano. I don't make mistakes when it comes to detecting… _exceptional_ people at first glance." He practically purred and the way he said her name sent shivers down her spine. Ayano could feel herself being pushed against the desk. His hand moved down to cup her chin to force her to look at him while he seemed to be leaning closer and closer. His other hand was resting against the desk, effectively trapping her but was pretty much pointless and only served to lessen the distance between them. Her legs was starting to feel like jelly and she didn't even think she could run even if she had the opportunity to.

And even if she could, she wasn't even sure if that was the right course of action. He didn't seem intent to harm her so there was nothing to worry about, right? But then… what was he doing? What was going on? Should she kill him, after all? But wait, isn't that a bit too much? He smells nice. What's with that predatory look he has? It reminds her of how her mother looks whenever she found an interesting new 'toy' to torment. Was this man planning on torturing her too? But no, that doesn't make sense; he was a civilian, wasn't he? Ayano's never been this close to someone before. Is he a psycho path? Did the student council hire a psycho path to catch another psycho path? Has her cover been blown? Why does she find his lips so interesting? The student council wouldn't have him kill her on the spot if that was the case though, right? He has no proof that she was the culprit. So is this supposed to be some mind trick that serves as an interrogation to make her snap?

If it is, then it's working. Ayano's brain has gone haywire and she realized that her cheeks feel abnormally hot so she must be bright red at this point which explains why Mido looks so smug.

"I've encountered all kinds of people in my line of work, but you…" he said. "I don't quite know what to make of you."

He said that with the excitement of a child in Christmas day. She honestly didn't know what to make of that, didn't really know what to make of the entire situation really. Should she kill him?

A distant, miniscule part of her, amidst the chaos in her mind, made a mental note to research for ways to cope when faced with a dilemma other than 'Kill them'.

"Ayano…?"

"Y-yes?" her voice was strained as her mind raced while at the same time being hyper aware of how close they were and the way he just towered over her made her heart skip a bit. She presumed it was due to fear from the physical disadvantage she would have in a fight.

"You're so cute~." He said, stifling a chuckle. "I just want to _eat_ you up…"

His deep voice resonated in her mind and his eyes were filled with an intense emotion that she couldn't quite decipher. She doesn't even remember being this close to her parents; their family doesn't do hugs for some reason and having next to non-existent friends decreased the amount of physical contact to zero. Why was he so close all of a sudden? Why was he so warm? Why didn't she just politely tell him to give her some space?

Why does she not think that this was unpleasant?

It was like whenever Amao or Aso patted her head and it felt nice. But this was more, much more, maybe too much, in fact. Or maybe it was alright? She wasn't sure; this was _not_ a part of her training.

She noticed that it was no longer her imagination, but Mido was indeed leaning closer. Her eyes widened a bit more and she couldn't hold back a squeak.

"R-Rana-sensei…" that was not a whimper. It was **not**.

"Yes, Ayano?" he asked huskily which oddly made her throat dry and she seemed to lose the ability to speak. This made him smirk.

She was gonna do it. She can't quite see the pen any more but it has to be there somewhere.

He continued to lean forward, and Ayano still stood with her breath heavy for some reason (she sincerely hoped she wasn't hypervintelating), unsure of what was happening and if she should really stop it. Just a bit more, she was being pressed against his torso and his hand went back to her cheek, caressing it. Only a bit more, and there will be no distance at all between them. He leaned closer, eyeing her li-

Something rang.

A phone to be specific. It made Ayano flinch, and she stood frozen. Mido also stood there, frozen as well. But his expression was completely blank, in contrast with Ayano's wide eyes that were still confused. Mido reached a hand out, his other one still on her cheek, and checked his phone. He scrolled through it while not bothering to put any sort of distance between them. Ayano was trapped; she just stood there watching him while trying to calm her raging heart.

It felt like he was fiddling on his phone forever before he looked back at Ayano with that same smirk on his face.

"Sorry, Aishi-san, but I have to cut our little session here short. Duty calls." He said and just up and leaves.

Ayano was left alone in the classroom as her mind try to catch up on what just happened. Absent-mindedly, she went to her seat, dropping her bag to the side. She stared at nothing for a good 6 minutes and a half as she replayed the events that just transpired. Once that was done with, she covered her face with both hands as she fought down the furious blush.

What the _hell_ was _that_?

* * *

Mido would've felt greatly irritated if he hadn't been so utterly satisfied with the results of his actions. Ayano Aishi, his new favorite student, looked stoic and completely devoid of emotion. But it turns out, it doesn't take much to get a reaction out of her. She was utterly adorable.

He decided to let this inconvenience slide for the time being because he was in such a good mood. Plus, it wasn't like this one wasn't fun to mess with either, although she couldn't possibly compare to the cute Ayano.

"You rang?" Mido raised an eyebrow after opening the door without bothering to knock.

"Have some courtesy, you're a teacher now." Genka Kunahito, the school's guidance counselor, scowled. "Knock first before entering."

"Unless you're getting _knocked_ up in here, then I don't see any reason why I should." He smirked, taking a seat at one of the couches.

Genka slammed her hands on her desk. "Watch your language! I won't tolerate such _indecency_ in my school!"

"Well, it's not like you have a choice." He said smugly. "I'm only here because Mr. Saikou's brat said he needed my help, and I wouldn't mind having an up-and-coming CEO in my debt."

"You were hired, so I was hoping it isn't too much to ask for you to do your job."

"I am doing my job." He said.

"And also maintain a little sense of professionalism."

"Now what makes you think I don't act professional?" he asked in a sickeningly sweet tone.

"I know about your reputation Mr. Rana." She said. "The school has enough on our plate with this serial killer at large, we don't need another scandal."

"Mr. Rana's too stiff." He scoffed. "You can just call me Mido."

"Although I wouldn't normally tolerate your mere presence in my school, I was forced to make an exception." She said, ignoring his previous statement completely. "But that doesn't mean that I would hesitate to kick you out once you've crossed a line. And I'm fairly certain that our student council president won't have any complaints if I do."

"I beg to differ." He smirked.

Genka's eyes narrowed. "Consider yourself warned."

"Oh, you're so uptight, Genka-chan." He chuckled. "Don't worry, there's no way I'm going to screw up after being given such a wonderful opportunity."

Genka didn't look the least bit convinced but sighed in resignation. "We really are amidst desperate times."

"Indeed, you are." Mido smirked. "Good for me, though."

"So? How is it on your end, so far?"

"My end?" Mido looked thoughtful for a moment. "It's going pretty well, if I have to say so myself."

"Oh?" Genka raised an eyebrow.

Mido hummed an affirmative. "So far, I already have four leads."

"Leads..?"

"Yes. Four students to be specific."

Her eyes narrowed. "Are you saying you already have suspects?"

"Oh, definitely not." He chuckled. "Like I said, they're just leads."

"Hah? And how are these students supposed to help us find this killer?"

"Well, this school is very interesting, after all. It's nothing like any of the schools I've worked at before, and I've worked at some very interesting schools. But this one is just unique, I've only been here for a day, but I'm already hearing of a lot of things. I'm sure you know about it too, Genka-chan." He said. "So think, if there's anyone in this school who would be the most useful in catching our little culprit, who would it be?"

Genka frowned before realization struck her. "Info-kun…"

"That's right." He smirked and cut her off before she demanded anything. "I don't have the slightest idea about his identity though. Of course, considering how he's committed more than a few crimes, I already expected that it won't be that easy."

"Then? What do you mean by leads?" she asked.

"I may not know who this 'Info-kun' is, but I do have the next best thing." He said with a dangerous smile that reminded Genka the reason why Megamo Saikou hired this man.

"I found the members of the Info Club."

* * *

"Are you okay?" Osano raised an eyebrow when his eyes landed on Ayano, who looked like she had just run a marathon with how red and disheveled she looked. At the back of his mind though, he remembered that she supposedly had an… appointment with a rather suspicious person earlier that morning. He clenched his fists and held back the demand to know what happened.

"I'm fine." She said with such finality that Osano had thought it wise not to prod.

"Well, you should probably… fix yourself up, I guess? You're not looking to good." He said a bit hesitantly.

"A-ah, you're probably right." She muttered.

Osano was really curious about what happened to her, it's not every day that you see Ayano lose her composure after all. But he didn't want to risk getting her upset. And to be honest, he wasn't entirely sure he wanted to find out. It scared him while at the same time put him at risk of suspension for harming a teacher. So instead, he decided to change the topic.

"Sorry about yesterday, by the way. Hanako can be a handful sometimes but he's not really that bad…" Osano said as she straightened her uniform.

"I didn't expect _you_ to give me an apology." She said. "Why? It's not like he was your responsibility to begin with."

"Well, in a way, he kind of is." Osano sighed, a bit annoyed. "I've been friends with Taeko and Hanako since we were kids. So I guess even I can't help but worry about him. I mean, I can't just leave either of them alone. They're both hopeless, after all."

Ayano hummed, now that she thought about it, Osano and Taeko were childhood friends. Just like her and Info-kun, their relationship was sort of similar in a way that both she and Osano thought their childhood friends to be annoying but still sticks by them. Ayano would never admit it out loud but it would be strange not having Info-kun around, no matter how much she liked to say that she hated him. His annoying personality aside, Info-kun played a huge part in her life, probably even more than her own mother.

Actually, now that she thought about it, he _definitely_ played a bigger part in her life than her own mother.

"Childhood friends can be quite the nuisance, huh?"she said.

"Hm? You have one too?" he asked, looking quite interested.

"Yes, our families were… coworkers so they'd often have us play together when they were busy."

"Oh, so you're not neighbors?"

"No… To be honest, I rarely see him nowadays."

Osano hummed, pondering on the thought. "Well, I guess that wouldn't be fun. If Taeko and I had gone to different schools, I might just end up spending most of my time needlessly worrying about her."

He made the wrong assumption that she and her childhood friend didn't go to the same school, but Ayano was not about to correct him.

"In any case, you have no need to apologize. I did it out of my own free will, after all." She said. "And in any case, Hanako-kun already thanked me earlier."

"Really?" he raised an eyebrow at this.

"Yes, he came to school early to give me some rice balls he made."

"I didn't know Hanako could cook."

It honestly depends on what your definition of 'cook' would be. If it's 'being able to make something edible' then yes, Hanako could cook.

"Well, that was nice of him, I guess." He said.

They settled into a comfortable silence as they watched more students pour into the classroom. Ayano couldn't help but think how this was a nice change, compared to how it was last week when she would just sit in the corner, alone with no one to talk to.

"Sorry…"

"Hm?" she gave him a curious look.

"About yesterday, I might have overreacted a little and…" Osano looked away but Ayano could see the beginning of a blush forming on his cheeks. "I mean, you're still an idiot! But… I guess I shouldn't have been so upset like I was."

Ayano blinked, she didn't think that he was the type to apologize.

"It's fine Osano-kun." She said. "I'm sorry as well, for making you worry."

The smile she gave him made him blush harder.

"W-well, let's just promise never to do that again!" he said, looking away almost haughtily.

"Yes, that's a good idea." She nodded. "I promise to try and stay out of trouble."

"And I promise not to freak out too much if and when you get into trouble…" he muttered.

She nodded, oddly satisfied.

"It's a shame we didn't get to eat at the sakura blossom tree yesterday." Osano said, changing the subject. The blush on his face indicated how awkward he found their previous topic to be. "It looks like we won't be able to eat there today either."

Ayano looked outside the window where his gaze was at and saw dark clouds.

"It seems so…" she muttered before remembering something. "Ah, that's right. I won't be able to eat with you today anyway."

"Huh? Why?" he frowned.

"I promised to meet up with someone."

This only served to deepen his frown as an image of a popular club president that Ayano's been particularly close to lately popped in his mind. "Who?"

"Sunobu-senpai." She said, seeing no reason to lie.

"Sunobu..? As in Kizano Sunobu? The Drama Club president?" he asked incredulously.

"Yes, I stopped by a shop yesterday and we ran into each other. We discovered that we had the same taste in manga so we ended up talking."

"… So you guys are close now?"

"I wouldn't say so, but we do get along well."

"What… are you meeting him for?"

"Ah well, he…" it would be strange if she told him that she had asked Kizano to teach him about 'love'. Most people would probably consider that to not be normal and Ayano didn't want Osano to think that she was strange. Not when she finally managed to become acquainted with one of her classmates. "He promised to help me out with something."

The frown didn't leave Osano's face. 'Why didn't you ask me?' were words he couldn't find the courage to ask.

Fortunately, their teacher arrived and all attention became directed towards him. Nobody noticed how Ayano kept her head bowed as she fought down a blush; it was a losing battle so she ended up focusing on writing notes. Because of her inner turmoil- the confusion, her heart racing at the memory, and something akin to excitement?- she didn't notice how smug Mido looked as he stole glances from her.

It was better to not think too much about it.

Once Mido left after class was over, Ayano was finally able to relax. This didn't escape Osano's notice but he filed that piece of information away for another day. As they were waiting for the next teacher to arrive, Ayano's phone beeped.

 _From: Aso-senpai_

 _Hey! Did you meet up with the StuCo pres yet?_

It took Ayano an embarrassing two minutes to realize that "StuCo" was short for "Student Council".

 _To: Aso-senpai_

 _Yes. It looks like we might see more of each other in the future, seeing as I'll be in charge of cleaning the Gym starting next week._

 _From: Aso-senpai_

 _What?! Don't we have janitors for that?_

 _To: Aso-senpai_

 _It looks like they'll be getting a break soon._

 _From: Aso-senpai_

 _That sucks :/ maybe I really should've talked to him_

 _To: Aso-senpai_

 _No, it's fine. I appreciate the concern though._

 _From: Aso-senpai_

 _If you're sure. I guess I could help you out after practice though._

 _To: Aso-senpai_

 _You don't have to. It's my punishment, after all._

 _From: Aso-senpai_

 _An unfair one :(_

 _Don't worry about it, Ayano-chan. It'll give us more time to hang out! :D_

 _To: Aso-senpai_

 _I really think you could be doing better things with your time though._

 _From: Aso-senpai_

 _Nah, I usually just go home and play games._

 _To: Aso-senpai_

 _Oh? You play games too?_

 _From: Aso-senpai_

 _Yeah. I forgot, you're part of the Gaming Club, right? XD I'm not really an avid gamer tho_

Ayano spent the next five minutes talking to Aso about games, and she was admittedly a little happy when the teacher turned out to be absent and they had a study hall instead. Now usually, she would be a good student and actually study during this period but apparently, Aso hasn't played Doki Doki Literature Club yet and so it's her responsibility as a member of the Gaming Club to rectify that.

Osano just watched as she avidly texted on her phone. She's never been the phone addict type, so she must really enjoy talking with whoever she was texting. Judging from their past conversations, it could either be Amao or Kizano, both upperclassmen who are quite popular with the school's female population.

He frowned, Ayano never seemed like the type to be interested in those kinds of things but considering the fact that she was club hunting, it was to be expected that she'd become close to the club presidents. It didn't make him feel any good about it though.

Osano tried to study and get his mind off of it, but hearing Ayano tap away at her phone only served to worsen his mood.

 _From: Aso-senpai_

 _Hey, Ayano-chan, wanna grab some lunch later?_

 _To: Aso-senpai_

 _Oh, I can't. I promised to meet up with someone._

 _From: Aso-senpai_

 _Bring them along! I'd love to meet your friends :)_

 _To: Aso-senpai_

 _I'm not sure about that. And I'm pretty sure you've met already. Sunobu-senpai is quite famous, after all._

 _From: Aso-senpai_

 _Eh? Sunobu? As in Kizano Sunobu?_

 _To: Aso-senpai_

 _That's correct._

 _From: Aso-senpai_

 _I didn't know you were friends with him. He's just so… eccentric, I guess?_

 _To: Aso-senpai_

 _Yes, even I didn't see us getting along at first. But I bumped into him after we parted ways yesterday and he's actually a pleasant companion._

 _From: Aso-senpai_

 _Is that so? And you and your friends are hanging out with him today?_

 _To: Aso-senpai_

 _No. Sunobu-senpai is very busy so I'll just be stopping by at the Drama Club room later on._

 _From: Aso-senpai_

 _What? Alone?_

 _To: Aso-senpai_

 _Yes. Why?_

Aso has known Kizano for a long time. Sure they've never been particularly close, but they were classmates during their second year and since they were both Club Presidents, they got to talk occasionally. And if you even have the barest minimum of interactions with the Drama Club President, one thing becomes certain. He was a massive flirt.

Of course, a loner like Ayano-chan probably wouldn't have known. Especially since she didn't seem like the type to gossip. She was curious but kind, admittedly cute, and definitely a bit naïve at times.

She was the perfect target for a playboy like Kizano.

From what Aso knows, Kizano has an on-again-off-again relationship with his fellow club member- although Aso can't really recall her name. It doesn't stop him from going around flirting with other girls like Uekiya though. But at least she, and many others, knew about him and easily deflected his advances. However, others weren't so lucky and got their hearts broken.

What about Ayano though?

Aso paled, staring at her text message. Should he warn her? But he didn't want to make Kizano seem like a bad guy. He really wasn't once you get past all his quirks, and he was nice enough to Ayano, which Aso is grateful for. But what if Ayano ended up falling for him?

Aso felt his heart clench and he managed to convince himself that it was only out of worry.

He's seen how depressed girls got when Kizano rejected them. Although Aso had always shrugged them off until now, the thought of Ayano going through the same thing, crying and becoming depressed over her unrequited love…

He wanted to punch something.

"Rito-san!"

Aso almost jumped out of his seat when the teacher called out his name.

"If you'd be so kind as to put your phone away, it would be well-appreciated."

Aso blushed in embarrassment and hurriedly put his phone away as some of his classmates started snickering. But he just couldn't bring himself to pay attention, a certain, cute kouhai too busy occupying his mind.

(He ignored the small part of him that wondered when he started referring to Ayano as 'cute')

* * *

Aso stopped replying. Ayano would've thought it was weird if she hadn't realized that they were in the middle of class hours and Aso must've had to put away his phone. So she did the same.

Since she wasn't able to pay much attention during their class earlier, she turned to Osano and asked for his notes, which he gave after some grumbling about paying attention in class. That somehow escalated into the two of them discussing the lesson and Ayano being impressed at how easily Osano picked up the material.

"We should have a study session sometime." Ayano said, recalling that it was indeed a thing that friends do. "If it's not too much trouble, of course."

"Hmph." Osano grumbled. "Well, I guess it wouldn't be too bad."

Ayano smiled, thinking how lucky she was to get close to someone like Osano.

She didn't notice how her classmate's mood significantly brightened after she made the suggestion.

* * *

"See you later, Osano-kun." Ayano got up from her seat once the lunch bell rang. Osano grumbled a reply as he seemed to be taking his sweet time in putting his things away. Ayano didn't bother waiting for him and just waved goodbye before making her way out of the room and towards the Drama Club room. When she arrived, the only person that was present was Kizano Sunobu who was on his laptop and had looked up from it upon her arrival.

His face brightened. "Aishi-chan! Wonderful to see you again."

"Pardon my intrusion, Sunobu-senpai."

"Donmai, donmai!" he grinned. "Have a seat. Oh, and do you mind helping me out for a bit?"

He was seated on the floor, against the wall so Ayano joined him. Looking at his laptop's screen revealed that he was browsing for theatrical auditions nearby.

"It won't do if we just hosted plays at school; I figured that it would be great practice if we tried auditioning for professional plays. Nothing too major, of course. But getting a part, even a small one, would help broaden our horizons ad give us a better idea on how it'll be like in the real world, don't you think?"

"… Yes, that's actually a great idea." She said. "Do you think that the teachers will be okay with this though? It seems like it'll be a bit of a hassle, not to mention how this could get in the way of students' studies."

"Oh, you don't have to worry about that." He waved it off. "The teachers are always encouraging us to try new things and whatnot. It would improve the school's reputation, too."

Ayano mutely nodded and stared at the various articles stating the need for actors in various plays.

"This one's the closest, but it's a bit different from the type of plays we're used to doing." He said.

"That wouldn't be wise." She said. "The atmosphere alone would most likely be jarring for your clubmembers, it'll be best if you all auditioned in a play that you're more accustomed to doing. They'll appreciate the familiarity."

"I suppose… This one would've been perfect, but it's at the next town."

"That's no good, it'll get in the way of school." She said. "How about that one?"

"The performance will be held sometime around Finals week so I don't think that's a good idea."

"It's on a Sunday though, so I'm sure you could work something out."

They continued this back and forth for a while now, Kizano scrolling through the articles while Ayano leaned in to look as well and giving her own opinions. In the end, they settled for a play called "Tales of a Yandere.", a musical production which would be held not far from school but is a few months away so there's no pressure and also plenty of time to rehearse if needed. The story is about a young girl who fell in love with an upperclassman and kills her schoolmates so she could have him all to herself. The Drama Club will be auditioning for the parts of the schoolmates who will either be background characters or will be killed.

"If you think about it, it's actually an interesting story." He said to her.

Ayano shrugged. "It's a bit outlandish, if you ask me."

"Oh, Aishi-chan, you're such a naïve girl." He chuckled, ruffling her hair. She frowned at the gesture, although it only looked like a cute pout in his eyes. "You need to let go of you straight-forward and logical way of thinking if you want to be able to appreciate art at its fullest extent. I'm actually surprised that you're able to enjoy manga with your way of thinking."

"Manga often confuses me, but sometimes I can at least understand the thought process behind it."

"You shouldn't question it so much." He sighed. "After all, a majority of stories require some form of suspension of disbelief. If you keep looking at it from a practical perspective, then you won't have a good time."

"I don't really think that's the issue." She frowned. "It's easy to wrap my head around fantasy worlds or scifi concepts, but usually I just have a hard time comprehending the characters."

"Well, I guess everyone has their own tastes as to what defines a 'likeable character'." He hummed. "And admittedly, characters from manga aren't what you'd call realistic."

Ayano snorted. "I've noticed that eccentric and loud characters are the one considered as popular."

"That's only for shounen manga." He chuckled. "The characters here are more grounded though, so what do you find so 'outlandish' about it?"

"This girl goes around killing people, Sunobu-senpai." She deadpanned.

"We literally attend a school plagued by a serial killer; I'm sure the concept is not that hard for you to grasp, Aishi-chan."

"Touché." She said. "It's her motivations, I suppose?"

"Ah, yes. Love; a concept that, for some reason, escapes your understanding."

"She kills twenty people in the first half of the play for 'love', senpai. Are you saying that you can understand her motive behind this?"

"Well, sort of. It is horrific, but I can appreciate its beauty." He said. "The longing and emptiness she felt so long fills her with misery, and finally, after so long, the one thing- the one person who can make her feel complete is within reach and it's being threatened to be taken away from her completely. Can't you imagine the raw emotion she must have felt?"

Emotion…

"I…" can't really. But Ayano wasn't sure if she should admit that. She could understand the feeling of emptiness and longing for something, yet not knowing what. But actually finding it? It seemed unreal.

"The dread, fear and desperation drove her to insanity. Do you realize what those specific emotions can drive someone to do? Imagine her willingness to stain her hands red for the chance of happiness, something that was _denied_ from her since birth. Her passion that led to her lack of remorse, and in the end he rejects her and she snaps, killing dozens including her beloved senpai before taking her own life. It's all so _beautifully_ **tragic**."

Tragic. She goes over the script of the play that they downloaded. That was one way to put it.

Ayano thought about her upbringing, how she could actually relate to this girl up until the moment she actually fell in love. It was actually a bit scary, how far this girl went. How she threw away all logic for the chance of getting rid of the horrible numbness in her chest. And for a while, she succeeded in doing so.

So far, Ayano has only killed for profit. She did it almost as a hobby, not for any type of deep motive. So, thinking about this logically, the main character might just be better off than Ayano.

"You really know how to make things sound amazing, senpai. I'm actually starting to empathize with a serial killer." She said.

He smirked, aura almost shining. "Well, a good actor must be in touch with his emotions. Understanding the characters I play helps me perform better."

"The way you're able to explain such complex emotions with such detail and simplicity, and how you can empathize with these characters so easily and almost become one with them, as if you're able to get into their brains and see behind their masks…" she said, staring straight into his eyes. "I… actually find _that_ to be very beautiful."

She wasn't really sure how Kizano Sunobu will prove to be useful in the future, but Ayano thinks that she doesn't mind keeping him around regardless.

Kizano froze at her words and his face turned a deep red.

"W-well! I try to give my all and, I don't- I mean, it's to be expected of me so I can… I'm the Drama Club president, after all so…" he stuttered. Kizano was used to being praised. But the utter sincerity in Ayano's words and the way she said it felt like being struck with a bucket of ice cold water for some reason. He was at loss for words.

Kizano cleared his throat and decided to change the subject.

"S-So! Do you want to hear something interesting about this play?"

"Oh?" she raised an eyebrow.

"Apparently it's a modernized version of an urban legend in this town." He said. "A long time ago, there were rumors of a young woman from a rich family who fell in love with the son of a farmer and she killed anyone who tried to get close to him. When he found out, he was horrified and told her to stay away from him. And the ending was… pretty much the same as the play's Pretty scary, isn't it?"

Ayano hummed in fake interest. In the back of her mind, she recalled her grandmother who had liked to tell her stories about their family. Apparently, her grandmother had a sister who died young, but Ayano was never told how or why she died.

She chose not to dwell on the matter too much.

* * *

"… I didn't know Ayano-chan was friends with Sunobu-senpai…" Oko muttered, writing down the newly acquired piece of information in his notebook as he peeked through the glass on the door and watched the two who were hunched over at Kizano's laptop and engaged in an animated conversation. Ayano had her usual stoic expression but it didn't take a genius to see her interest in whatever Kizano was saying.

"Is she a fan…?" Oko frowned. He was pretty sure that Ayano wasn't a member of Kizano's fan (unofficial) club though, or maybe he just wasn't aware of it.

' _I wonder if she's active in social media…_ ' he thought. 'I might be able to get more information about her there.'

He glanced back into the room and couldn't help but notice their close proximity. His eyes darkened as he recalled Kizano's reputation before he walked away, making plans for his evening and also thinking about their club activities after school. He might consider having the club try voodoo just to mix things up.

* * *

"Pardon the intrusion." Amao looked up from slicing hotdogs and smiled upon seeing his fellow Club president, Uekiya enter with a potted plant.

"Ah, good afternoon, Uekiya-chan. How can I help you today?"

"Oh, well I was wondering if you'd appreciate having some plants to liven up your club room." She said, gesturing to the plant she was holding. "The Gardening Club is currently decorating the rooftop with all kinds of plants but we figured, why stop there? It wouldn't hurt to put a little bit of nature inside the school, right?"

"Oh, that's nice." He said. "What kind of flowers are those?"

"These are violets." She said, making him pause and take a second glance at the plant with white flowers.

"They don't… look like violets." He said.

"Oh well, the name can be misleading." She giggled. "There are white violets though, this is one of them. To be honest, we wanted to add a bit of color to the rooftop so this little guy's out of the picture. I was hoping you could give him a home since it's going to get crowded at out garden soon."

"Did you order more plants?"

"We might've overdone it." She admitted sheepishly, making him chuckle.

"Okay, I'll take your white violet." He said, taking the pot from her and placing it near the window so it could get some sunlight."

"Thank you!" she said. "I hope it can provide you with some positive energy, Amao-kun."

"Positive energy, huh?" he chuckled. "You really are interesting, Uekiya-chan."

She blinked, not really knowing what he meant but elected to ignore it. "Speaking of interesting… You know, there's this thing you learn when you're at the Gardening Club, it's called the language of the flowers. Basically, different flowers convey different messages."

"Oh? That is quite interesting." He said. "So what does this one convey?"

"'Let's take a chance at happiness'." Uekiya said. "So I hope it can really motivate you to take risks and whatnot."

"Is that… so..?"

"Yep! Now if you'll excuse me, I need to get back to the rooftop." She said. "Have a good day, Amao-kun!"

Uekiya left and Amao was left to stare at the plant.

"A chance at happiness, huh?" Amao was thoughtful for a moment before sighing and getting back to work. It wouldn't do if he couldn't finish the octodogs before lunch time ends, after all. Luckily, all he had to do was put on the finishing touches and he was out the door with a plate full of octodogs in record time.

He walked around school, offering them to anyone he came across with a smile on his face while eyes scanned the area for that familiar raven hair wrapped neatly in a ponytail. He kept on looking until he reached a plaza where he came across his classmate.

"Oh, hey Odayaka-kun. I see you made some snacks."

"Oh!" he smiled, holding the tray out for his classmate and her companions. "Hello, Yamada-chan. Would you care to try some?"

"Of course! Your cooking is the best!" she grinned, taking one. The boy who appeared to be the youngest one also took an octodog and immediately found himself praising Amao.

"Oh, it's nothing." He chuckled before turning to the third one with orange hair. "Would you like some?"

"Tsk. I'm not hungry." He snapped rather rudely.

"Osano-kun, that's rude." Taeko scolded. "Sorry about him, Odayaka-kun. He's just upset that his girlfriend wasn't able to have lunch with him today."

"A-ah, is that so…?"

"Sh-she's not my girlfriend, idiot!" Osano snapped once again, but this time his face was flushed.

"Onee-chan, you shouldn't joke around like that…" Hanako said.

"Sorry, sorry." She pouted. "Honestly, guys don't know how to take a joke."

Amao could only chuckle at their antics.

"By the way, Amao-senpai. I heard you've been looking after my friend lately." Osano grumbled. "Thanks, I guess. Although Ayano's not really a part of your club, it's nice of you to be so welcoming."

"Oh? You're friends with Aishi-chan, Odayaka-kun?"

Amao looked surprised. "Ayano-chan? Why, yes. I didn't know you were friends with her too."

"What a surprise! Could it be that she's thinking of joining the Cooking Club?"

"Well, she's considering it." He said. "Of course, I don't want to pressure her. And whether or not she does end up joining, she's still welcome to visit anytime. That goes for you all too, of course!"

"Oh, that's so nice of you, Odayaka-kun." Taeko said.

"Speaking of which, is Ayano-chan joining you for lunch today?" he asked, trying to hide his hopefulness.

It didn't work against Osano though, who scoffed. "She's at the Drama Club with Sunobu-senpai, said something about needing his help with something.

For a split second, Amao frowned before immediately reverting back to his cheerful smile. "Is that so?"

Again, Osano wasn't fooled. He could tell that his senpai was also wondering what Ayano could possibly need. And also the same thing he thought earlier that morning; 'Why didn't she ask me?'.

"Eh~? Aishi-chan is surprisingly a friendly person." Taeko said, a hand in her cheek as she reevaluated her impression on the girl.

"Ne, Nee-chan. Who's Sunobu-senpai?"

As Taeko explained to her brother who the upperclassman was, Amao turned to Osano. "Did she also stop by the Drama Club before class started today?"

Osano frowned at the question. "No… I don't think so, why?"

"Oh… Well, I was just wondering since she wasn't able to join me for breakfast this morning…"

His frown deepened. "You two eat breakfast together?"

"Well, we did yesterday. I have a habit of arriving at school early, and I offered her to join me. She agreed and joined me yesterday but for some reason she wasn't able to stop by today." He said, sounding worried.

"Tsk." Osano turned his head away, trying and failing to hide his grimace. "What the hell's with that? Do you realize how much of a pain it must be to wake up so early?"

"Ah… well…" Amao didn't really know what to say. He can admit that the younger boy was right, but he just really wanted to spend more time with his kouhai. And that was something he couldn't admit.

"Oh, don't be so uptight, Osano-kun." Taeko puffed her cheeks.

"Ah, now that I think about it, Ayano-senpai was really early for class today, wasn't she?" Hanako piped up.

Osano raised an eyebrow. "Ayano-senpai?"

Hanako blushed. "She- she said it was alright for me to call her that…"

Osano snorted. "She was probably in a good mood since you gave her food."

Amao blinked. 'Food…?'

"Oh! Speaking of which, did she like it?" Taeko asked.

"She did!" Hanako beamed.

Amao wasn't entirely sure why he suddenly felt so upset. So to chase those feelings away, he decided to change the subject.

"Is she the class representative? I heard they often have to arrive to school very early." He said. "She does seem like the type to take on such responsibilities."

"She does…" Osano grumbled, but not so sourly this time. "But no, she isn't, She might be a runner-up for teacher's pet though with that creepy new teacher eyeing her."

"Ew, that's gross! Don't say such things, Osano-kun!"

"What? It's true! That guy asked her to come to school early this morning to talk to her, alone!"

Taeko shivered. "I-I'm sure it's just your imagination, Osano-kun."

"You know how he's like! Admit it, even you're suspicious of him!"

Amao frowned. He was indeed aware of the new teacher and his rising popularity, but was he really the type to prey on his students? Amao had never been the type to judge but this once, he can't help but feel uneasy.

"We-Well… what did they talk about?"

"Hell if I know." Osano grumbled. "She didn't tell me anything."

"Did you ask?"

"What am I, her mother? If you want to know so badly then go ask her yourself!" Osano abruptly stood up and walked away.

"Wha- Osano-kun?!"

"Toilet!" he called out, which made sense since he left his stuff on the bench they were at.

Taeko sighed. "Sorry about him, Odayaka-kun. He's in a bad mood today."

"More than usual, at least." Hanako muttered.

"Hanako-kun!" Taeko said in a scolding tone.

"Ah, don't worry about it." Amao said, although his smile was a bit strained. "I… need to go back to the Club room. See you around, Yamada-chan."

"See you around, Odayaka-kun!" Taeko said, ever the oblivious one. She then turned back to her brother who was frowning and looked deep in thought. "Eh? What's wrong, Hanako-kun?"

"Nee-chan…" Hanako said, unsure. "Is… Is Ayano-senpai being targeted by a sexual predator?"

" _Hanako-kun_!"

* * *

Osano made his way to the bathroom, scowling all the way when he bumped into the last person he wanted to see.

"Geez, are you on your period or something?" the girl asked, frowning after looking up from her phone and seeing him, being able to tell his mood from a mile away.

"Tsk, leave me alone, Aneki." His scowl deepened.

Raiba Najimi was the older sister of Osano and was a year older than him. They share the same orange hair, although hers was tinted blonde. She was generally a sweet girl but she does share some similarities personality-wise with her younger brother. Anyone can agree that Osano was the brasher between the two though.

Rai frowned, noticing immediately that her brother was much more hot-tempered than usual. "Seriously though, what's with you? Did your girlfriend break up with you?"

"She's not my girlfriend!" he snapped.

"And yet you know exactly who I'm talking about." She rolled her eyes. "Well, it probably has something to do with her right? I can tell, since you're so simple-minded."

"Mind your own business." He grumbled.

"Do you plan on confessing anytime soon?" she asked, making him splutter.

"Wh-why the hell would I confess?!" he said, blushing furiously. Rai rolled her eyes again.

"Well, I don't really care but if you don't then someone else might snatch her away from you, you know." She said, turning back to her phone and walking away.

Osano fought down the blush on his cheeks as he watched his older sister walk away while pondering on her words.

Amao Odayaka.

Mido Rana.

Kizano Sunobu.

Why were all these guys circling Ayano all of a sudden? It pissed him off! He decided to forego the bathroom and made his way back to the Plaza. On his way there, he spotted the doors to the back of the school open from down the hallway and saw the row of trees. It made him remember their lunch date (Which wasn't really a date, don't be stupid) which was delayed twice now. They were supposed to eat under the sakura blossom tree at the back of the school. The famed Sakura Blossom Tree with numerous myths surrounding it. It made him pause in his steps.

Now that he thought about it, tomorrow was already Friday.

 _If you confess to your love under the Sakura Blossom tree after school on Friday, they'll accept your confession._

* * *

 **I was going to post something twice as long as usual to make up for such a long and uncalled for hiatus but I really wanted to post before Valentine's Day :c I plan on posting a special but I don't think I'll make it in time... It'll probably be a day late since I'm going to be busy for a couple days. And I'm also thinking of posting it as a separate story. Kind of like an OVA, what do you guys think? XD**

 **I spent way too long on Mido's scene with Ayano. IT WAS SO HARD TO WRITE WTF. Sorry if it came out terrible T^T The idea there was that Ayano was touch-starved. Since her upbringing wasn't really filled with love. I was inspired by an art by Koumi-senpai. I'm not sure if I manage to convey it well. Also, the dialogue leading to that was terrible. I acknowledge that, I wanted to post this today. Needed, actually because I won't have any time to do so any time soon.**

 **But anyway, I think a lot has happened this chapter~ I'm hoping it gives you a lot to chew on. I won't take too long to post the next one though. Because the reason why this one took so ridiculously long is because DAMMIT MIDO WHY. I'm sorry ;-;**

 **Thursday is the day of jealousy, apparently :3 Well, what better way to realize your feelings? The characters are also coming together and more characters are being introduced. I focused this chapter more on the other rivals and less with Ayano. The next chapter will be similar, it'll help them develop by interacting with others, I suppose?**

 _red ink23_ **asked about Megamo's dad and the short answer is... I forgot about him :x I mean, I didn't FORGET about him, I just realized... Oh right, he DOES canonically know about the Aishi family, doesn't he? ...Let's just sweep him aside... :3 I honestly ship him with Ryoba too but this story is already so full so yeah, I'll save that for another fic *sweatdrop***

 **I also appreciate** _Netharia_ **'s very thoughtful review very much. Especially the part about Harem. Don't mind me, because I'm going to take that as my cue to do whatever the fuck I want. I was never good at confession scenes anyway... I say that but I'm sure you can tell that there WILL be one soon. ;)**

 **With that said, I'm reopening the poll. At this point, it's less about what you guys want the ending to be and now more of my way of knowing which characters you guys like. Trust me, it's helpful ;) I guess it was also a bad choice to get the poll out before introducing all the characters so...**

 **POLL! GO VOTE AT MY PROFILE RIGHT NOW!**

 **And with that, I hope you enjoyed the story and please let me know what you think! Thank you for your continuous support and I hope you weren't (too) disappointed with this week's chapter!**

 **Please review ~ !**

 **~ RnR ~ !**

 **~ RnR ~ !**


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